Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 4,803 tests analysed

Vauxhall Antara 2012: reliability & common MOT faults

2,338 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2012 Vauxhall Antara in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 Antara failed its MOT — 20.2% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

51.3%

of 4,803 first tests (2025)

First tests

4,803

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,338

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

51.3%

of 4,803 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

60.7%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

4,803

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 13.0 yrs · median mileage 92,258 mi

vs 2024: -1.0 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 2,337 of 2,338 failed first attempts that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear) — 7.4% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 172 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 19× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage
 Rear 172 ×19 7.4% Strong
Reversing lamps (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Reversing lamps > Reversing lamps
 Rear 195 ×14 8.3% Strong
Diesel emissions test (compression-ignition rules for vehicles from 01/07/2008) Any 159 ×6.4 6.8% Strong
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Rear 60 ×3.9 2.6% Likely
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 150 ×3.7 6.4% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 100 ×3.2 4.3% Likely
Parking brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake performance > Rbt > Parking brake performance
 Rear 70 ×2.9 3.0% Possible
Stop lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Rear 213 ×2.2 9.1% Possible
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Front 242 ×2.1 10.4% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Linkage pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage pins and bushes
 Rear 34 ×15 1.5% Likely
Seat belts — Condition (front)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > Seat belts > Condition
 Front 179 ×9.8 7.7% Elevated
Side repeaters
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Side repeaters
 Any 31 ×9.6 1.3% Elevated
Suspension arm (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Rear 273 ×6.4 11.7% Possible
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 326 ×4.5 13.9% Elevated
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Rear 149 ×3.7 6.4% Likely
Steering rack
Steering > Steering play > Steering rack
 Any 20 ×3.5 0.9% Elevated
Engine oil leaks (front)
Noise, emissions and leaks > Fluid leaks > Engine oil leaks
 Front 592 ×3.1 25.3% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Antaras either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2012 Antaras, commonest first.

What to check on a 2012 Antara

The items that failed 2012 Antaras most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 20.2% of failed first attempts
  • Pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 10.4% of failed first attempts
  • Stop lamp (rear) — recorded on 9.1% of failed first attempts
  • Rbt (sp) — recorded on 8.9% of failed first attempts
  • Reversing lamps — recorded on 8.3% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 Antara failed its MOT — 20.2% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 51.3% of 4,803 first MOTs on the 2012 Vauxhall Antara passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 60.7%. Among 2,338 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear) appears more…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2012 Vauxhall Antaras most often at the first attempt were Position lamp (front) (20.2%), Pins and bushes (front) (10.4%) and Stop lamp (rear) (9.1%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table ans…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear) (7.4% of those tests; 172 observed failures; about 19× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (7.4% of those tests; 172 observed failures; about 19× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2012 Vauxhall Antara include Anti-roll bars — Linkage (rear), Reversing lamps (rear), Pins and bushes (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2012 Vauxhall Antara (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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