Vauxhall Corsa 2006: reliability & common MOT faults

At a glance

How 12,977 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time: 49 in every 100
Did not pass first time: 51 in every 1006,614 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car: 19 yearsabout 81,842 miles
First tests counted: 12,977

What failed most often

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)18 in every 100 failed tests
Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)15 in every 100 failed tests
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)9 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2006 Vauxhall Corsa vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Tyres

Two wear patterns. The strongest is the tyre size or type (front): 4.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 6,536 of 6,614 failed first attempts (98.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Tyre size or type (front)

Failed on 69 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Tyres of different sizes or different aspect ratios on the same axle, or on twin wheels, are graded Major, as are tyres of different structure on the same axle, such as radial-ply and cross-ply. Steel and fabric radial-ply count as the same structure. The manual treats a standard car tyre and one of a single stated lower aspect ratio as almost identical in size, so that pair is allowed in any mix.

Tyre size or type (rear)

Failed on 53 first tests3.8 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Tyres of different sizes or different aspect ratios on the same axle, or on twin wheels, are graded Major, as are tyres of different structure on the same axle, such as radial-ply and cross-ply. Steel and fabric radial-ply count as the same structure. The manual treats a standard car tyre and one of a single stated lower aspect ratio as almost identical in size, so that pair is allowed in any mix.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: engine oil leaks, 4.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Engine oil leaks

Failed on 134 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Leaks of engine coolant, screen wash and the fluid used for selective catalyst reduction are not reasons for failure. Excessive leaking from the engine that is likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users is Major. Continuous leaking likely to pose a serious risk to road safety is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 1,666 first tests, 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

One fault: drive shaft joints and boots (front), 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 1,192 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

Two faults. The strongest is the rigid brake pipes: 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Rigid brake pipes

Failed on 132 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Chafing, corrosion or damage to a rigid brake pipe justifies rejection once its wall thickness is reduced by a set amount, although DVSA accepts this is not easy to determine. If a tester is not sure, the benefit of the doubt applies. A leaking pipe or connection is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic system and Major on an air system.

Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

Failed on 978 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A parking brake with efficiency below the minimum requirement is Major, and graded Dangerous where efficiency is less than half of the required value. On a roller brake tester, the requirement counts as met if more than half of the wheels of a brake system lock. The check applies only to vehicles whose parking brake was not already tested as the secondary brake.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Lamps and electrical

One fault: rear fog light, 2.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Rear fog light

Failed on 261 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing obligatory rear fog lamp, one that is not working, or one that does not emit a steady red light is graded Major. A rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp is Major too. The manual allows it to go out when main beam is switched on or when dipped beam headlamps are switched off.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Steering

One fault: track rod end, 2.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Track rod end

Failed on 163 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play is Major, and one worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment is graded Dangerous. A dust cover that is damaged but still keeps dirt out is Minor, and one missing or no longer keeping dirt out is Major. Testers must tell wear from a joint's built-in clearance or spring loading.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Macpherson strut ball joint (front)

Noted on 29 first tests8.6 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Brake cable (rear)

Noted on 31 first tests4.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Steering rack play (front)

Noted on 69 first tests4.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Macpherson strut pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 228 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Shock absorbers (front)

Noted on 584 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Exhaust system

Noted on 770 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time: 49in every 100; Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station: 8in every 100; Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed: 43in every 100; Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 49.0% of 12,977 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 57.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 8 fixed and the 43 not fixed make the 51 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage

Petrol12,31480,832 miles4949

Diesel662107,352 miles4850

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

Year	Passed first time	First tests
1997	61 in every 100	393
1998	63 in every 100	581
1999	58 in every 100	746
2000	58 in every 100	978
2001	52 in every 100	2,291
2002	50 in every 100	3,422
2003	51 in every 100	5,112
2004	49 in every 100	6,100
2005	50 in every 100	8,630
2006 This car	49 in every 100	12,977
2007	52 in every 100	25,689
2008	53 in every 100	34,291
2009	54 in every 100	38,165
2010	54 in every 100	44,205
2011	56 in every 100	51,511
2012	57 in every 100	65,235
2013	58 in every 100	66,425
2014	57 in every 100	69,021
2015	63 in every 100	83,121
2016	66 in every 100	72,530
2017	68 in every 100	49,963
2018	73 in every 100	51,156
2019	80 in every 100	51,441
2020	85 in every 100	43,640
2021	82 in every 100	38,722
2022	86 in every 100	33,935

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2006 Corsa.

Of 2006 Corsa vehicles with under 56,000 miles, 60 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 109,000 miles or more, 42 in every 100 did.

Under 56,0002,557 tests

60

56,000–74,0002,623 tests

52

74,000–90,000 Typical car2,544 tests

48

90,000–109,0002,505 tests

45

109,000 and over2,630 tests

42

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

	Under 56,000	74,000–90,000	109,000 and over
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)	9.3	8.7	8.2
Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)	3.1	7.7	10.8
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)	0.8	4.8	7.9
Windscreen washers	2.9	4.7	5.1
Tyre condition (front)	3.6	3.7	4.8

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

21in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

57in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

12in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. 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.

Is the 2006 Vauxhall Corsa reliable?

A 2006 Vauxhall Corsa passed first time about 2 in every 100 less often than the average of the 2005 and 2007 model years. In 2025, 49.0% of 12,977 first MOTs on the 2006 Vauxhall Corsa passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 57.2%. Among 6,614 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Engine oil leaks appears more often than on similar cars (2.1% of those tests; 134 observed failures; about 4.0× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.

What is most likely to fail on a 2006 Vauxhall Corsa?

Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2006 Vauxhall Corsa at the first attempt were Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (18.2%), Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (15.0%) and Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (9.1%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.

What common MOT faults stand out on the Vauxhall Corsa 2006?

Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Engine oil leaks (2.1% of those tests; 134 observed failures; about 4.0× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.

Why does Engine oil leaks stand out?

Engine oil leaks shows up more often than on similar cars (2.1% of those tests; 134 observed failures; about 4.0× 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 checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.

What are common problems with the 2006 Vauxhall Corsa?

Common MOT problem areas for the 2006 Vauxhall Corsa include Engine oil leaks, Drive shaft joints and boots (front), Rigid brake pipes. These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.

How should I read advisories vs fails?

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.

What does this Vauxhall Corsa 2006 MOT report cover?

This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2006 Vauxhall Corsa (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.

Does this include engine and gearbox problems?

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.
If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

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

At a glance

What failed most often

Tyres

Tyre size or type (front)

What it means

Tyre size or type (rear)

What it means

Noise, emissions and leaks

Engine oil leaks

What it means

Also noted as an advisory

Body and structure

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

What it means

Brakes

Rigid brake pipes

What it means

Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

What it means

Lamps and electrical

Rear fog light

What it means

Steering

Track rod end

What it means

Advisories

Macpherson strut ball joint (front)

Brake cable (rear)

Steering rack play (front)

Macpherson strut pins and bushes (front)

Shock absorbers (front)

Exhaust system

MOT pass rates

Petrol and diesel

Same model, other years

If you are buying one

Mileage matters most on a 2006 Corsa.

What to check at your mileage

When a car fails

FAQs

About this data

What we include

Same-day repairs

How we compare

What this does not cover

Check any vehicle’s MOT history