Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 10,688 tests analysed

Vauxhall Vivaro 2018: reliability & common MOT faults

3,735 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2018 Vauxhall Vivaro in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Track rod end (front) and Linkage ball joints (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

2018 Vivaros break the Vivaro's own run — at 65.1% they land 1.7 pp below the midpoint of the 2017 and 2019 cars either side.

First-attempt pass

65.1%

of 10,688 first tests (2025)

First tests

10,688

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

3,735

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

16.5%

Track rod end (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

65.1%

of 10,688 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

70.3%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

10,688

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 7.0 yrs · median mileage 81,622 mi

vs 2024: -1.5 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 3,731 of 3,735 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Linkage ball joints (front) — 12.3% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 460 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 12× 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
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 460 ×12 12.3% Strong
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Front 120 ×10 3.2% Strong
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 421 ×6.8 11.3% Strong
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 616 ×5.9 16.5% Strong
Daytime running lamps (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Daytime running lamps
 Front 88 ×3.2 2.4% Likely
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 351 ×3.0 9.4% Possible
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 452 ×2.8 12.1% Possible
Diesel emissions test (compression-ignition rules for vehicles from 01/01/2014) Any 91 ×2.5 2.4% Possible
Coil spring (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Rear 296 ×2.4 7.9% 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
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Pins and bushes
 Front 25 ×40 0.7% Elevated
Stop lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Rear 115 ×9.2 3.1% Elevated
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 183 ×7.7 4.9% Strong
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Pins and bushes
 Front 62 ×7.6 1.7% Likely
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Front 38 ×7.1 1.0% Strong
Pedal
Brakes > Service brake pedal or hand lever > Pedal
 Any 76 ×7.1 2.0% Elevated
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 128 ×5.9 3.4% Strong
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Macpherson strut > Pins and bushes
 Front 44 ×5.0 1.2% Likely
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 underperforms the Vivaro's own age curve. If the years listed below are in budget, they are the stronger buy on this evidence.

Other Vivaro 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
2020 Vivaro +2.7 pp better 75.1% 9,356
2019 Vivaro +2.4 pp better 72.5% 9,709
2022 Vivaro -3.2 pp worse 72.9% 8,667
2021 Vivaro -1.7 pp worse 72.2% 10,801

What to check on a 2018 Vivaro

The items that failed 2018 Vivaros 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.

  • Track rod end (front) — recorded on 16.5% of failed first attempts
  • Linkage ball joints (front) — recorded on 12.3% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 12.1% of failed first attempts
  • Shock absorbers (front) — recorded on 11.3% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 9.4% 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.

2018 Vivaros break the Vivaro's own run — at 65.1% they land 1.7 pp below the midpoint of the 2017 and 2019 cars either side. In 2025, 65.1% of 10,688 first MOTs on the 2018 Vauxhall Vivaro passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 70.3%. Among 3,735 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Linkage ball joints (front) appea…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2018 Vauxhall Vivaros most often at the first attempt were Track rod end (front) (16.5%), Linkage ball joints (front) (12.3%) and Malfunction indicator lamp (12.1%) — 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-f…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Linkage ball joints (front) (12.3% of those tests; 460 observed failures; about 12× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Linkage ball joints (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (12.3% of those tests; 460 observed failures; about 12× 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 2018 Vauxhall Vivaro include Linkage ball joints (front), Ball joint (front), Shock absorbers (front). 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 2018 Vauxhall Vivaro (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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