Vauxhall Mokka 2019: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 77 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2019 Vauxhall Mokka were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front).

Summary

A 2019 Vauxhall Mokka passed first time about 7 in every 100 more often than the 2018 model year next to it.

At a glance

How 21,398 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
77 in every 100
Did not pass first time
23 in every 1004,848 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
6 yearsabout 37,824 miles
First tests counted
21,398

What failed most often

  1. Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front)20 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)12 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Windscreen wipers (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 2019 Vauxhall Mokka vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Three faults. The strongest is the suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front): 48 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 4,846 of 4,848 failed first attempts 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.

Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 952 first tests48 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Whether a suspension arm ball joint dust cover still keeps dirt out decides its grade. Severely deteriorated is Minor, while missing, or no longer preventing the ingress of dirt, is Major.

Coil spring (rear)

Failed on 417 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 24 first tests, 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Coil spring (front)

Failed on 328 first tests3.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

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

Lamps and electrical

Two faults. The strongest is the individual sidelight or tail light (rear): 15 times as often as on similar cars.

Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)

Failed on 572 first tests15 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A position lamp showing red light to the front or white light to the rear is Major. Rear lamps must show a steady red light, and front ones can show white, predominantly white with a blue tinge, or yellow if combined in a yellow headlamp. With a multiple light source, up to half not working is Minor and more than half is Major.

Brake light (rear)

Failed on 126 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

All stop lamps missing or not working is graded Dangerous, and so is a stop lamp that stays on when the brakes are released. A stop lamp that is missing or not working is Major. On some vehicles with LED rear lamps, part of the stop lamp can go out when the rear fog lamp is lit, which is not regarded as a defect.

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

Body and structure

One fault: exhaust system (front), 8.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Exhaust system (front)

Failed on 115 first tests8.2 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Exhaust fumes causing a danger to health of persons on board are graded Dangerous, and so is a silencer likely to become detached. Fumes entering the cabin are Major. One or more missing or defective mountings does not necessarily make the exhaust insecure, since testers assess the overall security of the system.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 193 first tests, 8.3 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.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: petrol engine warning light, 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol engine warning light

Failed on 269 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on a petrol engine is a Major failure when it is illuminated indicating a malfunction. The detail line DVSA gives for the same row also names an inoperative lamp. The test covers only certain petrol vehicles, depending on their age, size and fuel type.

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.

Side repeater indicators

Noted on 29 first tests45 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Macpherson strut pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 151 first tests18 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Transmission oil leaks (front)

Noted on 72 first tests5.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Engine oil leaks (front)

Noted on 313 first tests5.6 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Seat belt condition (front)

Noted on 25 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Tyre condition

Noted on 63 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

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
77in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
5in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
18in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 77.3% of 21,398 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 82.4%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 5 fixed and the 18 not fixed make the 23 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Petrol20,48137,332 miles7877
Diesel91750,701 miles7073

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.

40608010020122013201420152016201720182019Older cars
4060801002019Older cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 81 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
201257 in every 100714
201362 in every 10011,662
201463 in every 10029,832
201562 in every 10040,617
201662 in every 10037,902
201767 in every 10035,147
201871 in every 10030,390
2019 This car77 in every 10021,398

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2019 Mokka.

Of 2019 Mokka vehicles with under 25,000 miles, 87 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 54,000 miles or more, 68 in every 100 did.

Under 25,0004,355 tests
87
25,000–34,0004,330 tests
82
34,000–43,000 Typical car4,388 tests
77
43,000–54,0003,974 tests
73
54,000 and over4,348 tests
68

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested
Passed first time,
same mileage
Petrol37,332 miles7877
Diesel50,701 miles7073

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Petrol cars look better on the raw figures only because diesel cars have done more miles (typically 50,701 against 37,332). At the same mileage there is no clear difference between the two.


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 25,00034,000–43,00054,000 and over
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front)1.04.08.8
Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)1.62.82.7
Windscreen wipers (front)2.82.21.5
Coil spring (rear)0.42.03.8
Brake pads (rear)0.22.52.6

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


When a car fails

52in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

19in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

5in 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.

A 2019 Vauxhall Mokka passed first time about 7 in every 100 more often than the 2018 model year next to it. In 2025, 77.3% of 21,398 first MOTs on the 2019 Vauxhall Mokka passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 82.4%. Among 4,848 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front) appears more often than on similar cars (19.6% of those tests; 952 observed failures; about 48× 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.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2019 Vauxhall Mokka at the first attempt were Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front) (19.6%), Individual sidelight or tail light (rear) (11.8%) and Windscreen wipers (front) (9.0%), 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.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front) (19.6% of those tests; 952 observed failures; about 48× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (19.6% of those tests; 952 observed failures; about 48× 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.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2019 Vauxhall Mokka include Suspension arm ball joint dust cover (front), Individual sidelight or tail light (rear), Exhaust system (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any 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 2019 Vauxhall Mokka (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.
  • 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.

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