Vauxhall
Agila
61,565 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Agilas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 7.7 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
69.8%
Pass-after-fix
5.0%
Fail
24.6%
Avg miles
66,021
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Generations on file · 2
Vauxhall Agila · UK market
2000–2007
2007–2014
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
Agila at 70.4%: below average city car with suspension and spring issues at 70k miles
The Vauxhall Agila posts 70.4% first-time pass from 48,850 tests at an average presenting mileage of 72,356 — below the UK fleet average. Top failures are suspension pin and bush wear, fractured springs and tyre tread. The Agila (2000-2007) is based on the Opel Corsa B/Combo platform, and at 72,000 average miles its front MacPherson strut springs and lower control arm bushes are well into deterioration territory. Spring fractures appear consistently in the top three failures. At 70.4%, the Agila needs spring inspection and front bush replacement before presenting for test. These are inexpensive parts but essential maintenance on a car of this age.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 4–11
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 →
4–11
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2,530 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 02
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
2,143 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,985 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 04
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,432 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 05
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,384 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 06
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,231 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 07
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
1,202 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,160 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 09
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
1,068 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 10
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
1,067 occurrences · 1.7% 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
£220–£615
If every one of this Agila'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.
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Parts & supplies for this fix
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Summit
Summit ADRG-13 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
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Summit ADRG-25 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£10.99
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Summit ADRG-32 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£12.09
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Summit ADRG-43 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£12.09
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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
The Vauxhall Agila is a compact city car based on the Opel Corsa B/Combo platform. Low running costs and practical two-box body. Now a distinctly old design requiring maintenance.
Recall history
4 UK recalls on record.
The Agila has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping an Agila?
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 Agila 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.