Vauxhall
117,356 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Adams pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.
Pass
77.2%
Pass-after-fix
3.9%
Fail
18.4%
Avg miles
52,944
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 117,356 tests
Pass rate climbs 7.0 points across the cohorts — newer Adam examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
76.3%
Fail
19.4%
PRS
3.9%
Avg mileage at test
56,131 mi
Pass
83.3%
Fail
12.1%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
31,330 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
76.75% first-time pass from 72,204 tests is reasonable, and the Adam's average test mileage of 46,676 makes it one of the lower-mileage cars in this batch. Despite that, steering rack gaiter deterioration, shock absorber failure, and fractured springs all feature in the top three failures — suspension wear that typically shows up later in a car's life. Owner records are thin but pointed: water in oil on a 1.2 70PS at just 22,000 miles destroyed the engine, and the 2014 model suffered comprehensive comms, radio and Bluetooth failures from one year old, persisting repeatedly. A sunroof recall from 2014 was slow to be actioned, with some owners still waiting months after the initial letter. At under 47,000 miles the MOT pass rate should be higher; the suspension pattern and electrical history suggest the Adam hasn't always been straightforward to own.
ABI Insurance Group
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. 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 →
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Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
10,610 occurrences · 9.0% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
4,456 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
4,074 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
2,873 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,054 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,608 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,415 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,392 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,155 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1,076 occurrences · 0.9% 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
£300–£815
If every one of this Adam'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Vauxhall Adam has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
83.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 83.3% — a 7.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 31,330 miles — roughly 25K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt, has a serious fluid leak — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
76.3%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 83.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt, ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, and has a serious fluid leak. Average mileage on test for this band is 56,131 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme. Honest John records: "Report of engine failure of 2014 Vauxhall Adam at 22,000 miles due to water in oil. Engine was 1.2 70PS. Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB In Moonstone | Verizon (With…"
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (83.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.3% pass). That's a 7.0-point spread across 102,292 older tests and 15,064 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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Summit
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
Owner reports (3 entries) flag recurring problems with engine failure, electrical faults.
Report of engine failure of 2014 Vauxhall Adam at 22,000 miles due to water in oil. Engine was 1.2 70PS. Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB In Moonstone | Verizon (With 36 Monthly Installment Payments + Plan)Meet the new status pro. Pixel 10 Pro is the ultimate Pixel experience, featuring advanced AI with Gemini, unbelievable camera quality, i...Verizon Wireless Ask a Pro: "I'm 65 With $1.1M Saved. What's My Retirement Budget?"This quiz matches nearly 50,000 people each month with vetted financial advisors.SmartAsset Learn More Top 5 Mouse Repellents for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More Why AI Brings Speech Clarity That Old Hearing Aids Just Can’t Match Understand speech in noise effortlessly AudioNova How US Navy Submarine Cooks Keep Their Produce Fresh For 5x Longer Consumer Check [![Image 28: Missed the April 15 Tax Deadline? The IRS Still Offers Debt Forgiveness [See How to Qualify]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImM5NTFiY2UwOTE0MjYyMDllNjFjNDJkNzFhYWY4NmU2YzNkNjFiODFlY2Y2MjEyZWEzNjViZDFjMmFhZGFkMDIiLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjcyI6MCwiZiI6NH0.webp)Missed the April 15 Tax Deadline? The IRS Still Offers Debt Forgiveness [See How to Qualify]freshstartinfo.org](https://freshstartinfo.org/tax-relief-options/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=programmatic&utm_campaign=Small+List+-+Desktop&utm_content=0005311d13aa384a2cc0f2ef7ff74efc5b&camp_id=003198e0e9831633063a4568517e615f4e&creative_id=0005311d13aa384a2cc0f2ef7ff74efc5b&brand=FSI&source=OUT&adset_id={{section_id}}&obcid=0096ea30c26a360a1fc372308e87d6d6d7&obOrigUrl=true) Sponsored What Plumbers Won’t Tell You: The Cheap Hack for Clear Drains Trending Deal Journal [![Image 30: Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImVmM2Q2MDM2Y2E3NGRmOGRhZWUwMDAwNzkwMDk4YWIzMGI5MWRlNDhlZDdmMjRjMTY5NDRhMmY5YTg0ZDQ0MTciLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjaCI6MTAyMzExNjc1NSwiY3MiOjAsImYiOjR9.webp)Sponsored Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online] Read more It all starts with a message.delightydate.com](https://delightydate.com/land/sp/08db1326?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=ua&utm_campaign=OBN_Delightydate_Tier1-1_All_Native_EU2_NewU_Broad_aOBX25_Chrome-Safari-Edge_Creo-t_mua_23Apr&campaign_id=006d20fa452139f5ad59227a3ca380838d&utm_content=Find+Senior+Women+Who+Bring+The+Spark+%5BSee+Who%27s+Online%5D&partner=outbrain_datingsmatch&OutbrainClickId={{ob_click_id}}&subid={{ob_click_id}}&ad_id=00c5619c08afaed3e07f0ab60e40906d29&publisher_name={{publisher_name}}§ion_name={{section_name}}&publisher_id={{publisher_id}}&ad_name={{ad_name}}&obOrigUrl=true) Sponsored Sleep Experts: Why Melatonin Can Make Your Sleep Problems Worse!Health Report Sponsored Has Hyundai hit the mark with the new Palisade? Take a look!caffeinecommons.com Click Here Sponsored Top 5 Binoculars for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More * Terms and Conditions * Privacy * Cookies * Advertise on this site * Contact * Mobile) Website of the Year 2016, 2017 & 2018
Report that 'Insecure Sunroof' recall seems to have gone awray. Reader has an Adam Glam bought new in March 2014 and received the recall letter in April saying there was a recall and they would contact him in early may. He phoned mid June as nothing heard and was told to book in and take car to Vauxhall dealer for repair. Car booked in with dealer from whom he bought car for 3rd July. Meanwhile received a 2nd letter from Vauxhall to say repair would only be an interim measure as they were working on the final conclusion. Turned up at garage on 3 July to be told Vauxhall hadn't supplied the parts so no repair done.
Report of significant comms, radio, Bluetooth and other electronic failures on September 2014 Vauxhall Adam 1.4i Jam from September 2015 and repeatedly since. Amost reads as if the car has suffered significant flood damage that has sent the electrics haywire.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 3 reports indexed
Recall history
The Adam has 11 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 an Adam 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.
