MOT cost .
Vauxhall Combo
MOT 2023
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Vauxhall

Combo

131,599 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Combos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 8.2 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

67.6%

Pass-after-fix

6.1%

Fail

25.7%

Avg miles

95,046

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Combo: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 131,599 MOT tests, the Combo returns 67.6% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A broken or weak spring and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 95,046, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    9,295 occurrences · 7.1% of tests

  2. 02

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    8,390 occurrences · 6.4% of tests

  3. 03

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    7,795 occurrences · 5.9% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    5,093 occurrences · 3.9% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    4,727 occurrences · 3.6% of tests

  6. 06

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    3,906 occurrences · 3.0% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    3,470 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  8. 08

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    3,401 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  9. 09

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    3,182 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  10. 10

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    2,838 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£168–£415

If every one of this Combo's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Combo?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Combo and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.