Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 382,742 tests

Pass rate climbs 16.4 points across the cohorts — newer Mokka examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 317,098

Pass

75.1%

Fail

19.9%

PRS

4.6%

Avg mileage at test

62,838 mi

2018–2020 cohort 65,527

Pass

82.3%

Fail

13.0%

PRS

4.3%

Avg mileage at test

37,236 mi

2021+ cohort 117

Pass

91.5%

Fail

4.3%

PRS

4.3%

Avg mileage at test

17,532 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 2

Vauxhall Mokka · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Mokka Passes 78% But Suspension Dust Covers Fail

Suspension joint dust cover failures — missing or severely deteriorated — take two of the top three MOT failure spots on the Vauxhall Mokka across 262,901 tests. At an average of 51,853 miles this is earlier than most rivals show similar wear. Snapped springs round out the top three. Owner reports flag a wiper motor replacement at 12,000 miles costing £435 (Vauxhall declined goodwill), and a 4x4 rear differential case rusting through on a 2013 model under six years old. Check all suspension dust covers carefully and inspect the underside for corrosion, particularly on all-wheel-drive variants.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 14–24

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 →

14–24

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

20,996 occurrences · 5.5% of tests
02

A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

17,180 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
03

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

10,208 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

7,626 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
05

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

7,317 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
06

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

6,774 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
07

Wiper blade defective

6,224 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
08

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

5,036 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
09

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

5,004 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
10

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

4,683 occurrences · 1.2% 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 5 failures

£340–£925

If every one of this Mokka'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 16.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Vauxhall Mokka has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 91.5% — a 16.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 17,532 miles — roughly 45K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: inoperative on one side, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — 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

75.1%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 75.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents…, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 62,838 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme. Honest John records: "Mysterious fault reported with 2014 Vauxhall Mokka. Refused to start. AA looked at it. Local mechanic looked at it. Then sent to local Arnold Clark Vauxhall dealer. No one has…"

Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (75.1% pass). That's a 16.4-point spread across 317,098 older tests and 117 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

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 02 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-13 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-25 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-32 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£12.09

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-43 Vauxhall Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£12.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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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

Not particularly quick or refined. Underwhelming cabin finish.

Where it falls short

The Vauxhall Mokka X was a sound idea in theory, but is let down by a mediocre drive and disappointing cabin quality compared with rivals.

Recent owner-reported faults

17 Dec 2019
Report of 2015 Vauxhall Mokka 1.4T reqauiring a new windscreen wiper motor at 12,000 miles at a cost of £435. Vauxhall turned down a claim for goodwill. HSA/FSA Eligible | PCA SKIN Total Strength Serum, 1 Fl. Oz | Dermstore HSA/FSA Eligible | PCA SKIN Total Strength Serum, 1 fl. oz | Dermstore Dermstore.com Sleep Experts: Why Melatonin Can Make Your Sleep Problems Worse!Health Report
4 Dec 2019
Vauxhall Mokka X dropped from Vauxhall range due to conflict with Crossland X, Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C3 Aircross.
2 Nov 2019
Report of rear differential case of 2013 Vauxhall Mokka 4x4 rusting through. Temporarily repaired with 'liquid metal', but, despite less than 6 years old, Vauxhall said not covered as out of warranty. Questionmark as to whether car has been standing in salty water for extended periods.
26 Oct 2019
Report of clutch and dual mass flywheel failure at 4,500 miles in 2018 Mokka X 1.4T, purchased in February 2019 at 2,500 miles. Dealer repaired at a cost of £1700. See 26-7-2015.
3 Oct 2019
Complaint that a 2017 Vauxhall Mokka had a fault that "almost caused it to catch fire." Owner was driving the car on the M25, a warning message came up on the dash to say oil engine low stop engine. Owner could not stop as was on the M25 and there was no hard shoulder. Within a few minutes the power in the car dropped from approx. 60-70 to 10 miles per hour. Owner managed to "crawl" for a couple of hundred yards into the nearest layby and called her insurance for roadside assistance. They sent out a driver to load the car on the back of a truck and bring it back to her home address. The breakdown man popped the bonnet and saw melted cable, burnt cables, loose wiring, etc., he told the owner she was lucky it didn't catch fire. She called her mechanic who advised her that it looked like a technical fault and that it would need to go to Vauxhall. She managed to get it booked in (about 10 days later). Various delays ensued. Mysteriously the Vauxhall dealership manager told her that she would have to raise a customer care case with Vauxhall. (Even though she bough the car from that dealer chain). Customer Care asked her to undergo a 20 minute questionnaire. She had to give a statement about what happened. She was told that they would contact the dealer and that a Vauxhall technician may have to go and see the car. No one would tell her if it could can be repaired will need to be replaced, or if the wiring fault is covered under warranty. Last update she was told she should hear from Vauxhall Customer Care by the end of the following week. (She told us nothing since.)
2 Oct 2019
Report of electric power steering motor failing on 7th September on recently purchased 29k miles 2014 Vaixhall Mokka. Owner in a courtesy car waiting for parts from Germany to repair it.
1 Jul 2019
Report of clutch pedal of 2014/64 Vauxhall Mokka "failing" at 37k miles due to hydraulic leak (presumed clutch slave cylinder leak onto clutch plates). Clutch needed to be replaced.
22 Mar 2019
Report of alloy wheels of 2016 Vauxhall Mokka 1.6 SE CTDI peeling on the inside and blistering around the rims. The car was bought used on Network Q at 7 months old with 9k miles; now has 22k miles.
6 Jan 2019
Report of failure of servo valve inside servo valve box of 6-speed torque converter auto of Vauxhall Mokka X. Apparently a 5 week wait for the replacement part.
5 Jul 2018
Mysterious fault reported with 2014 Vauxhall Mokka. Refused to start. AA looked at it. Local mechanic looked at it. Then sent to local Arnold Clark Vauxhall dealer. No one has been able to find out what is wrong with it. Arnold Clark is replacing the ECU and if that works it will cost £1500. (Might be nothing more then moisure in the connecting block between the ECU and the wiring loom.)
11 Dec 2017
Report of 28k mile 2014 Vauxhall Mokka CDTI randomly failing to start. Yellow Malfunction light comes one, but engine rattles as if firing on 2 or 3 clinders, them stops. Car run on mix of short and long journeys. Usually, after locking the car, removing the keys, waiting 15+ minutes, then re-trying it has started as normal. Dealer diagnosis shows no fault codes. Probably one or two glowplugs failing to glow.
22 Jul 2017
Report of anti skid/traction control light coming on in November 2016 Vauxhall Mokka 1.4T auto at 5500 miles. Dealer investigated and diagnosed a faulty wiring loom. Had to photograph the wiring details so that a new wiring loom could be made up. 24 hours later Vauxhall instructed dealer to take the car off the road as there was a possibility that the brakes might fail. Owner has now waited 11 weeks for the replacement part that has repeatedly not arrived when promised.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 17 reports indexed, top 12 shown

Recall history

21 UK recalls on record.

The Mokka has 21 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Mokka?

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 Mokka 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.