Vauxhall
2,539 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Astra Business Edition Nav T Ds pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 7.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
84.8%
Pass-after-fix
4.6%
Fail
10.0%
Avg miles
45,790
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,539 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Astra Business Edition Nav T D examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
84.5%
Fail
11.1%
PRS
4.1%
Avg mileage at test
48,824 mi
Pass
85.3%
Fail
8.3%
PRS
5.4%
Avg mileage at test
41,000 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,062 MOT tests, the Astra Business Edition Nav T D returns 85.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. The engine warning light staying lit and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 37,982, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. 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 →
10–26
out of 50
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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
55 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
25 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
23 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
23 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
20 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
19 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
14 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
12 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
12 occurrences · 0.5% 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.
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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Vauxhall Astra Business Edition Nav T D makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
85.3%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 85.3% — a 0.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 41,000 miles — roughly 8K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
84.5%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 84.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 85.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, inoperative or indicates a malfunction, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 48,824 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (85.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (84.5% pass). That's a 0.8-point spread across 1,550 older tests and 989 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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.
What's good
Solid all-rounder that’s good in all areas, cheap to run, excellent value as a used car and loads around, five star Euro NCAP rating.
Report of navigation screen failing for the second time on a 2019 Astra. Replaced under warranty.
Report of gearbox failure on 2020 Astra 1.2 petrol. Gear changes are perfectly smooth except when changing up from first to second. This particular change can result in a crunch being heard (as the driver moves the gear stick into second). Vauxhall dealership was able to replicate the symptom and agreed there is definitely a fault. But having found no quick fix adjustment, the vehicle remains stuck at the dealership pending authorisation from Vauxhall to undertake more extensive warranty work.
Report of piston failure on 2016 Vauxhall Astra 1.4T. Car has a full dealer service history and developed an engine misfire, which the dealer thinks is due to a cracked piston.
Report of 2016 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 136 Start/Stop Elite Nav 5dr Estate Manual going in to the dealer for a brake recall in August 2019. While there the deraler carried out a software undate which, after 3 miles of driving, puts up the message low oil level, service.
Report of 2016 Vauxhall Astra 1.6CDTi 136 going in for emissions update and on the way home the low level oil warning message came up on the small info screen. Driver stopped the car and dipped the engine oil, it was full. The message still comes up approx twice a journey despite the engine oil being on the top mark of the dip stick. Perhaps it's really indicatiing a malfunction of the diesel post injection system that is supposed to fire off active regenerations but is instead sinking to the sump and this is a high oil warning rather than a low oil warning.
Report of 2016 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 136 Start/Stop Elite Nav manual Estate at 13k miles going to Vauxhall dealer for clutch and brake recall. Owner objected to the emissions recall but dealer said if he didn't have the emissions software update they would not do the recall repairs. No recall repair no MoT. Whilst it was in they MoTd the car (first MoT) and it had a major fail: the steering column. They repaired this under warranty.
Report of engine overheating on longer journeys in 2015 Vauxhall Astra GTC 1.4 turbo petrol, engine type B14NET. Vauxhall dealer diagnosed an 'Engine flow error' and fitted a new water pump and thermostat.
Report of failure of turbo on 2016 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 turbodiesel at 47,000 miles.
Report of 'long block' of Vauxhall Astra 1.4T being replaced under warranty.
Another report of engine failure in an Astra 1.4T. " My Vauxhall astra 1.4t 66 plate suffered engine faliure (pistons) under warranty. After 5 weeks my car I've been told is finally ready to collect from the dealership." Owner then questioned the future reliability of his engine.
Report of failure of engine of 2016/66 Vauxhall Astra 1.4T automatic. Has now been with the dealer for more than a month and dealer cannot give a date when warranty replacement of engine can be carried out. Dealer says has 3 more Astras with the same issue.
Report of piston failure in engine of 2016/66 Vauxhall Astra 1.4T automatic at 29k miles. Driving school car but fully serviced on time and Vauxhall is repairing under warranty, but taking a long time depriving the owner of income.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 23 reports indexed, top 12 shown
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 Astra Business Edition Nav T D 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.
