Chevrolet
Captiva
12,493 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Captivas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
64.6%
Pass-after-fix
5.8%
Fail
28.8%
Avg miles
103,555
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
Chevrolet Captiva: challenging MOT record across 9,674 tests
The Chevrolet Captiva is a compact crossover SUV marketed by General Motors. The first generation was developed by GM Korea, based on the GM Theta platform and derived from the S3X concept car revealed in 2004.
MOT data from 9,674 tests puts this car on a 64.0% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 100,044 miles. The most common fail item is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated, followed by failed number plate light.
Honest John owner records point to diesel particulate filter blockages as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
The Captiva's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 18–26
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
18–26
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
1,388 occurrences · 11.1% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,090 occurrences · 8.7% of tests
- 03
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
625 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
479 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 05
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
429 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 06
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
376 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 07
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
375 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 08
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
368 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 09
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
354 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 10
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
354 occurrences · 2.8% 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 3 failures
£148–£370
If every one of this Captiva'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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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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Motor World
Motor World Chevrolet Captiva RHD 2008- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World
Motor World Chevrolet Spark 2010- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World
Motor World Chevrolet Cruze 2009- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Motor World
Motor World Chevrolet Aveo 2013- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Well equipped as standard. Seats seven reasonably comfortably. Quiet when cruising. Decent diesel engine. Improved facelifted model from 2011.
Where it falls short
Steering is light. Not great in corners. Feels a little dated compared to other SUVs at this price.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 6 Mar 2017
Report of transfer box of Antara exploding because of disparity in tyre si
- 24 Jul 2016
Report of leaking sump of identical 2014 Vauxhall Antara at 22,900 miles. Dealer kept car for three days, removed both sump pans, re-sealed them and re-tested them. The cost came to £593.64.
- 2 Jul 2016
Report of satnav of 2012 Captiva failing twice; once repaired under warranty in 2015, then failed again out of warranty a year later.
- 28 Oct 2015
Clutch and Dual Mass Flywheel of 2013 Chevrolete Captiva failed at 8,500 miles. Charged £2,100 to replace it. Unable to secure ervidence that slace cylinder was at fault.
- 11 Mar 2014
Odometer on 2009 Capitva has twice reverted back from over 30,000 miles to firstly 11,000 miles and secondly 7,500 miles. Also has ABS problems. Chevrolet dealers not very interested.
- 28 Aug 2013
Catastrophic failure of oil pump 5 months after purchase, leading to iol getting into the cooling system.
- 10 Oct 2012
Diesels seem to suffer from DPF regeneration problems.
- 10 Aug 2010
Strange intermittent problem on some 2009 diesel automatics. ESP lights come on and throttle becomes unresponsive. Dealer reported problem with throttle pedal sensor. After replacing and rewiring problems can re-occur requiring a more extensive fix.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 8 reports indexed
Buying or keeping a Captiva?
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 Captiva 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.