Vauxhall Zafira common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 174,465 initial MOT tests on the Vauxhall Zafira in Great Britain, and 61.5% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Vauxhall Zafira at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 174,465
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 61.5%
Failed at firstIncluding 7.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 38.5%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 11.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 34,231 off the road (SORN): 146,376

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

Failure areas

Where the Zafira 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.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
15.6%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
13.7%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Brakes
9.1%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Tyres
8.6%
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
8.2%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Visibility
6.0%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
4.6%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
1.5%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.5%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

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.

Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks7.9%
SpringsSuspension5.7%
ConditionTyres5.4%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics4.8%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes4.6%
Suspension armsSuspension4.0%
Position lampsLamps and electrics4.0%
WashersVisibility3.8%

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
2018	4,821	77.1%	8.0%
2017	11,884	73.8%	8.2%
2016	11,583	70.5%	8.7%
2015	13,993	69.6%	9.2%
2014	26,192	65.1%	10.1%
2013	25,588	62.1%	11.1%
2012	14,386	60.5%	11.0%
2011	10,724	56.2%	13.2%
2010	13,474	55.1%	13.2%
2009	7,479	52.8%	13.0%
2008	10,154	52.1%	13.2%
2007	8,506	50.8%	13.4%
2006	5,402	53.0%	13.6%
2005	3,859	51.5%	12.5%
2004	2,925	52.5%	11.0%
2003	1,722	52.7%	11.9%
2002	1,049	53.6%	11.2%
2001	513	55.4%	9.2%

Mileage

Zafira 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
6 years	49,500 miles	2,323
7 years	57,000 miles	9,356
8 years	65,200 miles	11,263
9 years	75,800 miles	13,268
10 years	84,500 miles	20,514
11 years	90,000 miles	27,654
12 years	94,200 miles	18,349
13 years	101,600 miles	11,105
14 years	107,000 miles	12,752
15 years	107,500 miles	10,032
16 years	108,300 miles	8,627
17 years	112,000 miles	9,670
18 years	113,600 miles	6,801
19 years	114,500 miles	4,197
20 years	112,000 miles	3,329
21 years	114,800 miles	2,120
22 years	114,500 miles	1,279
23 years	119,500 miles	776
24 years	114,400 miles	289

Checking a particular Zafira?

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 Zafira: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Vauxhall Zafira was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 15.6% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (13.7%) and brakes (9.1%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Vauxhall Zafira?

61.5% of 174,465 initial MOT tests on the Vauxhall Zafira in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 7.7% 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 Zafira 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. 11.0% of initial tests on the Vauxhall Zafira 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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