Vauxhall Astra UK Reliability Profile — DVSA MOT pass rates

Background

This profile uses DVSA MOT test results for the Vauxhall Astra in the UK, covering 2,961,952 tests across vehicle ages 3 to 30. The dataset tracks pass rates by age and also shows how annual pass rates moved from 2020 to 2023.

As an MOT-based reliability view, the material is best read as a picture of roadworthiness at test time rather than a full ownership-cost study. Even so, the scale is substantial: age-specific samples range from 528 tests at age 30 to 229,192 at age 10, with especially deep coverage through the core used-car years.

Overall pattern

The central pattern is straightforward. The Astra records a high pass rate at age 3, at 91.62 from 109,049 tests, then declines steadily through the main middle years of the fleet.

By age 4, the pass rate is 88.86 from 149,177 tests. At age 5 it is 86.86 from 177,829 tests, and at age 6 it is 83.25 from 200,645 tests. The slide continues at age 7, where 214,804 tests produced a 79.11 pass rate.

That downward movement remains visible into older mainstream used examples. At age 10, the Astra posts 71.92 from 229,192 tests. At age 12, it stands at 65.51 from 217,747 tests. At age 14, it is 60.57 from 203,138 tests, and at age 15 it is 59.48 from 176,305 tests.

After that, the curve becomes flatter. Ages 16 to 18 sit in a relatively narrow band, with 58.43 at age 16, 58.67 at age 17, and 59.42 at age 18. From age 19 onward, pass rates edge upward again in the observed data, reaching 76.51 at age 30, though those oldest ages are based on much smaller test counts.

Pass rates by age

The age breakdown is the clearest way to read the Astra’s MOT record.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
3	109,049	91.62	22,848
4	149,177	88.86	32,198
5	177,829	86.86	40,949
6	200,645	83.25	49,601
7	214,804	79.11	58,288
8	215,268	75.57	66,979
9	221,047	73.63	75,701
10	229,192	71.92	82,336
11	218,830	68.76	87,347
12	217,747	65.51	92,362

This table captures the main ownership arc. The Astra remains above 80 through age 6, then drops below that mark at age 7. By age 12, the pass rate is 65.51, with median mileage at 92,362.

The later years show a different pattern.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
13	225,203	62.98	96,501
14	203,138	60.57	100,650
15	176,305	59.48	104,153
16	131,428	58.43	104,099
17	87,440	58.67	102,820
18	61,602	59.42	102,004
19	42,049	61.21	100,421
20	30,584	61.69	99,701
21	19,721	61.74	99,046
22	11,356	62.1	96,124

From age 13 to age 18, the pass rate stays in a fairly tight range from 58.43 to 62.98. That suggests the sharpest deterioration happens earlier, before the oldest surviving cars settle into a narrower band.

The oldest observed Astras continue that modest recovery pattern.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
23	6,642	62.67	92,285
24	4,065	63.39	88,358
25	2,741	64.39	85,405
26	2,112	66.48	86,201
27	1,556	63.82	88,230
28	1,162	68.25	87,997
29	732	72.68	87,518
30	528	76.51	80,728

These oldest-age figures are still useful, but they should be read with caution because the sample sizes are much smaller than those seen from age 6 to age 15.

Mileage and ageing

Median mileage rises in step with age through the Astra’s main service life. At age 3, median mileage is 22,848. By age 7, it reaches 58,288, and by age 10 it is 82,336.

The mileage peak in the dataset appears around the mid-teen years. Age 14 shows 100,650, age 15 shows 104,153, and age 16 shows 104,099. After that, median mileage trends downward in the observed pool, with 102,820 at age 17, 100,421 at age 19, 96,124 at age 22, and 80,728 at age 30.

That pattern matters for interpretation. The oldest Astras in the MOT record are not the highest-mileage Astras. Instead, the surviving age-29 and age-30 cars show median mileages of 87,518 and 80,728, both below the mid-teen peak. In practical terms, the oldest tested cars appear to be a more selectively retained group.

The key ownership years

For most readers, the most relevant ages are 3 to 12, where test volumes are large and the pass-rate decline is consistent. This is the part of the curve where the Astra moves from a very strong first-test position into more mixed later-life results.

Three reference points stand out in the findings. At age 3, the pass rate is 91.62. At age 7, it is 79.11. At age 12, it is 65.51. Those figures frame the model’s progression from early-life strength to a more failure-prone middle age.

The test counts behind those figures are also robust: 109,049 at age 3, 214,804 at age 7, and 217,747 at age 12. That gives the age-3, age-7, and age-12 benchmarks particular weight in the overall profile.

Median mileage helps place those ages in context. The age-7 figure is 58,288, while age 12 is 92,362. In other words, the Astra’s pass-rate softening is visible well before the very highest median mileages in the dataset.

Recent annual test results

The by-year view shows improving pass rates in the most recent observed test years.

Test year	Tests	Pass rate
2020	190,899	78.44
2021	225,939	80.26
2022	208,991	81.97
2023	182,717	83.03

From 2020 to 2023, the annual pass rate rises each year: 78.44, 80.26, 81.97, and 83.03. The highest annual figure in the findings is therefore the 2023 result.

These year-level figures do not replace the age analysis, because the fleet mix can change from one year to the next. Still, they show that the observed Astra test population posted stronger MOT outcomes in 2023 than in 2020.

How to interpret the oldest cars

The late-age rebound in pass rates is one of the most notable features in the data. After bottoming at 58.43 at age 16, the Astra records 58.67 at age 17, 59.42 at age 18, 61.21 at age 19, 62.1 at age 22, 66.48 at age 26, 72.68 at age 29, and 76.51 at age 30.

That should not be read as a simple claim that a 30-year-old Astra is easier to pass than a 15-year-old Astra in everyday ownership. The findings show that the oldest groups are much smaller: 2,112 tests at age 26, 732 at age 29, and 528 at age 30, versus 176,305 at age 15 and 131,428 at age 16.

The mileage pattern points in the same direction. Median mileage is 104,153 at age 15 and 104,099 at age 16, but only 80,728 at age 30. The oldest tested cars appear to be a distinct subset of the fleet rather than a continuation of the average mid-teen Astra.

Limitations

This is an MOT pass-rate study, not a fault-category breakdown. It shows whether the Vauxhall Astra passed or failed at test time, but it does not identify which defects were responsible.

The observed years run from 2020 to 2023. The observed ages run from 3 to 30. No claims beyond those ranges can be supported from the findings.

The oldest-age results should be treated carefully because the sample sizes are much smaller than in the core ages. A figure based on 528 tests at age 30 does not carry the same evidential weight as one based on 229,192 tests at age 10 or 225,203 tests at age 13.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How many Astra MOT tests are included here? A: The profile covers 2,961,952 MOT tests.

Q: What is the Astra pass rate at age 3? A: At age 3, the pass rate is 91.62 from 109,049 tests.

Q: What happens by age 7? A: At age 7, the pass rate is 79.11 from 214,804 tests, with median mileage at 58,288.

Q: What is the pass rate at age 12? A: At age 12, the pass rate is 65.51 from 217,747 tests, and median mileage is 92,362.

Q: Which recent year had the best pass rate? A: Among 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, the highest pass rate is 83.03 in 2023.

Q: Do the oldest Astras still pass at reasonable rates? A: In the observed data, age 29 records 72.68 from 732 tests and age 30 records 76.51 from 528 tests. Those are smaller samples than the main used-car ages.