Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 6,371 tests analysed

Vauxhall Combo 2011: reliability & common MOT faults

2,756 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2011 Vauxhall Combo in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Headlamp aim and Coil spring (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

2011 Combos break the Combo's own run — at 56.7% they land 4.8 pp above the midpoint of the 2010 and 2012 cars either side.

First-attempt pass

56.7%

of 6,371 first tests (2025)

First tests

6,371

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,756

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

10.9%

Headlamp aim

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

56.7%

of 6,371 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

63.9%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

6,371

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 14.0 yrs · median mileage 104,618 mi

vs 2024: -1.1 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 2,632 of 2,756 failed first attempts (95.5%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on. 4.5% of failures are excluded for want of a mileage reading, so treat these shares as indicative for this model year.

Standout: Steering rack — 2.3% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 60 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 17× 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.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Steering rack
Steering > Steering play > Steering rack
 Any 60 ×17 2.3% Likely
Electrical equipment — Horn
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Electrical equipment > Horn
 Any 109 ×3.1 4.1% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 122 ×2.9 4.6% Possible
Reversing lamps
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Reversing lamps > Reversing lamps
 Any 54 ×2.8 2.1% Possible
Exhaust system (rear)
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
 Rear 93 ×2.5 3.5% Possible
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 149 ×2.4 5.7% Possible
Exhaust system (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
 Front 53 ×2.3 2.0% Possible
Track rod end
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Any 100 ×2.0 3.8% 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
Steering rack
Steering > Steering play > Steering rack
 Any 65 ×5.8 2.5% Likely
Swivel pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Axles > Swivel pins and bushes
 Rear 98 ×4.4 3.7% Elevated
Component mounting prescribed areas (front)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Front 21 ×3.9 0.8% Elevated
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 408 ×3.7 15.5% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 358 ×3.3 13.6% Possible
Flexible brake hoses (front)
Brakes > Flexible brake hoses
 Front 51 ×3.3 1.9% Possible
Non-component advisories (front)
Non-component advisories
 Front 341 ×2.9 13.0% Elevated
Exhaust system (rear)
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
 Rear 147 ×2.9 5.6% Possible
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.

This year outperforms the Combo's own age curve — it holds up better than its place in the model's run would predict.

Other Combo years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2012 Combo -3.7 pp worse 51.4% 2,424

What to check on a 2011 Combo

The items that failed 2011 Combos 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.

  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 10.9% of failed first attempts
  • Coil spring (front) — recorded on 10.9% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 10.5% of failed first attempts
  • Visibility — Washers — recorded on 10.0% of failed first attempts
  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 9.5% 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.

2011 Combos break the Combo's own run — at 56.7% they land 4.8 pp above the midpoint of the 2010 and 2012 cars either side. In 2025, 56.7% of 6,371 first MOTs on the 2011 Vauxhall Combo passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 63.9%. Among 2,756 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Steering rack appears more often than…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2011 Vauxhall Combos most often at the first attempt were Headlamp aim (10.9%), Coil spring (front) (10.9%) and Position lamp (front) (10.5%) — 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 answers.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Steering rack (2.3% of those tests; 60 observed failures; about 17× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Steering rack shows up more often than on similar cars (2.3% of those tests; 60 observed failures; about 17× 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 2011 Vauxhall Combo include Steering rack, Electrical equipment — Horn, Rigid brake pipes (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 2011 Vauxhall Combo (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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