Vauxhall Combo 1700 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 14,214 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 41.8%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Vauxhall Combo 1700 MOT Reliability Overview
The Vauxhall Combo 1700 is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 14,214 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 9 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 58.2% and a failure rate of 41.8%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Vauxhall Combo 1700 earns a "Below Average" reliability rating. The average Vauxhall Combo 1700 presents for MOT with approximately 85,009 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2011 models achieve the highest pass rate at 73.8%, while 2004 models have the lowest at 24.0%. This 49.8 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Vauxhall Combo 1700 is Suspension, affecting 35.5% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment at 33.0%. Tyres rounds out the top three at 27.5%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 5 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Vauxhall Combo 1700 vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Vauxhall Combo 1700. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 12 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Vauxhall Combo 1700 ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 15% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 10 (54.3% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 42.5% | 6,045 |
| 2 | Suspension | 36.8% | 5,232 |
| 3 | Tyres | 30.4% | 4,320 |
| 4 | Brakes | 25.6% | 3,643 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 16.0% | 2,280 |
| 6 | Steering | 7.4% | 1,048 |
| 7 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 6.7% | 947 |
| 8 | Non-component Advisories | 2.9% | 410 |
| 9 | Visibility | 2.2% | 319 |
| 10 | Registration Plates And Vin | 2.0% | 278 |
| 11 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 1.8% | 253 |
| 12 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 1.7% | 238 |
| 13 | Road Wheels | 1.2% | 175 |
| 14 | Body, Structure And General Items | 0.8% | 116 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 85,009 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & Electrical | 5.00 | 42.5% | 6,045 |
| Suspension | 4.33 | 36.8% | 5,232 |
| Tyres | 3.58 | 30.4% | 4,320 |
| Brakes | 3.01 | 25.6% | 3,643 |
| Visibility | 2.15 | 18.2% | 2,599 |
| Steering | 0.87 | 7.4% | 1,048 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.78 | 6.7% | 947 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.34 | 2.9% | 410 |
| Body & Structure | 0.30 | 2.5% | 354 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.23 | 2.0% | 278 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.21 | 1.8% | 253 |
| Wheels | 0.14 | 1.2% | 175 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Vauxhall Combo 1700 has 85,009 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Vauxhall Combo 1700 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 4.92% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Vauxhall Combo 1700 MOT Data
The Vauxhall Combo 1700 is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 14,214 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 9 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 58.2% and a failure rate of 41.8%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Vauxhall Combo 1700 owners, these results suggest average reliability — some preparation before MOT can improve pass chances. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Combo 1700 is likely to perform.
Suspension — 35.5% of failures
Suspension issues account for 35.5% of MOT failures on the Vauxhall Combo 1700. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.0% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 33.0% of MOT failures on the Vauxhall Combo 1700. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Tyres — 27.5% of failures
Tyres issues account for 27.5% of MOT failures on the Vauxhall Combo 1700. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Vauxhall Combo 1700?
Based on 14,214 MOT tests in our database, the Vauxhall Combo 1700 has an overall pass rate of 58.2% (41.8% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Combo 1700?
The top 3 reasons a Vauxhall Combo 1700 fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (35.5%), 2. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (33.0%), 3. Tyres (27.5%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Vauxhall Combo 1700 reliable?
With a 41.8% MOT failure rate, the Combo 1700 is about average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Vauxhall Combo 1700?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (35.5%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (33.0%); Tyres (27.5%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.