Vauxhall Meriva common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 81,099 initial MOT tests on the Vauxhall Meriva in Great Britain, and 61.5% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Vauxhall Meriva at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 81,099
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 61.5%
Failed at firstIncluding 6.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 38.5%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.5%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 9,504 off the road (SORN): 69,733

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Meriva fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Suspension
17.8%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
13.3%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Brakes
8.6%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Tyres
7.6%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
5.7%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Visibility
5.5%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
4.9%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
3.1%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.1%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.3%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

SpringsSuspension10.2%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks5.3%
ConditionTyres5.1%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics5.0%
Suspension armsSuspension4.1%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes3.5%
WashersVisibility3.3%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.0%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2017	4,445	73.5%	5.4%
2016	6,440	71.3%	6.3%
2015	8,078	69.1%	6.8%
2014	7,382	67.3%	7.9%
2013	7,354	62.9%	8.8%
2012	8,146	64.9%	9.0%
2011	12,939	62.7%	9.4%
2010	8,221	56.7%	11.7%
2009	4,278	50.2%	12.8%
2008	4,145	47.6%	13.7%
2007	3,616	49.6%	12.4%
2006	2,858	47.4%	13.8%
2005	1,700	46.1%	12.6%
2004	1,213	46.6%	13.1%
2003	254	53.9%	11.8%

Mileage

Meriva mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
7 years	42,600 miles	2,739
8 years	48,300 miles	6,021
9 years	55,300 miles	7,145
10 years	60,500 miles	7,563
11 years	66,400 miles	7,062
12 years	74,600 miles	7,736
13 years	83,600 miles	10,057
14 years	87,700 miles	11,275
15 years	83,400 miles	5,981
16 years	84,200 miles	3,529
17 years	85,400 miles	3,983
18 years	87,700 miles	3,119
19 years	88,900 miles	2,287
20 years	88,000 miles	1,394
21 years	85,600 miles	704

Checking a particular Meriva?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Vauxhall Meriva: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Vauxhall Meriva?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Vauxhall Meriva was suspension: 17.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (13.3%) and brakes (8.6%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Vauxhall Meriva?

61.5% of 81,099 initial MOT tests on the Vauxhall Meriva in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 6.3% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Vauxhall Meriva is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 9.5% of initial tests on the Vauxhall Meriva found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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