2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate, common failures & what to check

In 2025, 63.3% of Vauxhall Adams first used in 2015 passed their MOT first time, against 71.9% for all cars first used in 2015. Across 32,445 Adam first tests from 2023 to 2025, the most common failure areas were suspension, steering and lamps and electrical equipment.

This page analyses first MOT tests for Vauxhall Adams first used in 2015 (all trims grouped): 2021 to 2025 for the pass-rate trend, and 2023 to 2025 for the failure and advisory analysis — plus what is worth checking before you buy one.

Data: DVSA anonymised MOT tests to December 2025 · Calculated by SortedCars · Updated October 2026

Passed first time, 2025
63.3%
of 10,788 first tests; all cars first used in 2015: 71.9%. Fixed-at-the-test counts as a fail
Tests analysed
32,445
first tests, 2023–2025; 10,788 in 2025
Clean pass, 2025
30.3%
of 10,788 first tests in 2025, passed with no advisory and no minor defect recorded
Typical mileage, tested in 2025
57,500
middle half: 43,500–73,000 miles; all cars first used in 2015: 74,000

How the 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate has changed

Share of first tests passed in each year, Adams first used in 2015 against all cars first used in 2015 (any make or fuel; not adjusted for mileage, fuel or use). In 2025 the Adam figure was 8.6 points lower.

2015 AdamAll cars first used in 2015
60%70%80%20212022202320242025Test year (first tests)All cars first used in 2015, test year 2021: 79.7%All cars first used in 2015, test year 2022: 77.8%All cars first used in 2015, test year 2023: 75.5%All cars first used in 2015, test year 2024: 73.5%All cars first used in 2015, test year 2025: 71.9%2015 Adam, test year 2021: 77.4%2015 Adam, test year 2022: 74.8%2015 Adam, test year 2023: 71.3%2015 Adam, test year 2024: 68%2015 Adam, test year 2025: 63.3%71.9%63.3%
View this chart as a table
Test year2015 AdamAll cars first used 2015Adam first tests
202177.4%79.7%10,887
202274.8%77.8%10,871
202371.3%75.5%10,858
202468.0%73.5%10,799
202563.3%71.9%10,788

Common 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT failures

Share of the 10,534 failed first tests (2023–2025) with at least one failure in each area. A test can fail in more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

Suspension39.4%
Steering26.6%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.9%
Tyres21.3%
Visibility14.3%
Brakes13.6%
Noise, emissions and leaks7.5%
Body, chassis, structure6.1%

Most common failure items

DVSA failure itemShare of failed first testsTests
Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt19.3%2,034
Coil spring: fractured or broken16.9%1,777
Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak15.4%1,625
Tread depth: below requirements of 1.6mm7.7%808
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively6.6%694

Item names are DVSA’s own wording. 2023–2025 combined.

Typical repair costs for common MOT failures

Typical UK garage prices for the job, not for an Adam in particular, and not a quote.

Failure itemTypical jobTypical UK priceUsual range
Coil spring: fractured or brokenCoil spring replacement£248£175–£400
Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leakShock absorber replacement£300£200–£500

From published UK repair-cost guides, checked September 2026. Only jobs with a published typical price are shown.

What to check on a 2015 Vauxhall Adam before buying

The three areas where failed first tests most often had a fault, 2023–2025.

  1. Suspension. Worth looking behind the front wheels with a torch at the coil springs, and listening for knocks over bumps on the test drive.
  2. Steering. Worth feeling for play or knocks in the steering on the test drive, and asking when the tracking was last checked.
  3. Lamps and electrics. Ask someone to watch while you work the brake lights, indicators, sidelights, dipped and main beam, and the number-plate lamps.

Common 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT advisories

Advisories are points the tester noted that did not fail the car. Most common on 2015 Adams, as a share of all 32,445 first tests, 2023–2025.

DVSA advisory itemShare of first testsTests
Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil15.7%5,101
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing14.4%4,664
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge13.9%4,508
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened8.3%2,699
Brake pads: wearing thin5.6%1,802

Questions about the 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT

What is the MOT pass rate of a 2015 Vauxhall Adam?

In 2025, 63.3% of Adams first used in 2015 passed their MOT first time, against 71.9% for all cars first used in 2015. A car fixed during the test counts as a fail.

What does a 2015 Adam most often fail its MOT on?

Suspension (in 39.4% of failed first tests, 2023–2025), steering (26.6%) and lamps and electrical equipment (23.9%). The single most common item was “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” (19.3%).

How often does a 2015 Vauxhall Adam fail its MOT?

In 2025, 36.7% of first tests on Adams first used in 2015 did not pass first time: 31.9% failed, and a further 4.9% had a fault fixed during the test (counted as a fail here). Across 2023–2025, 10,534 of 32,445 first tests did not pass first time.

What are the most common 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT advisories?

“Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil” (on 15.7% of first tests, 2023–2025), “Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing” (14.4%), “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge” (13.9%), “Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened” (8.3%) and “Brake pads: wearing thin” (5.6%).

Is a 2015 Vauxhall Adam reliable?

An MOT pass rate shows what failed at the test, not how reliable a car is. For this group of cars the first-time pass rate went from 77.4% in 2021 to 63.3% in 2025. For one particular car, its own MOT history matters more than the average.

Other cars first used in 2015

The most-tested cars from the same year. Each page uses the same method.

2015 Ford Fiesta MOT statistics · 2015 Vauxhall Corsa MOT statistics · 2015 Ford Focus MOT statistics · 2015 Volkswagen Golf MOT statistics · 2015 Nissan Qashqai MOT statistics

How the 2015 Vauxhall Adam MOT data is calculated

Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test data for Great Britain, 2021–2025. “2015 Adam” means a Vauxhall Adam whose date of first use falls in 2015 (64, 15 and 65 plates), all trims grouped. Class 4 vehicles, first tests only — retests are not counted. Pass rate = passed ÷ all first tests; a car with a fault fixed during the test (PRS) counts as a fail. Our national first-test pass rate matches DVSA’s published figure (table DVSA/MOT/01) to within 0.04 points in every year. Clean pass = passed with no advisory and no minor defect recorded. Mileage is the reading recorded at the test. Comparisons are with all cars first used in 2015, any make or fuel, and are not adjusted for mileage, fuel or use. Failure and advisory item names are DVSA’s own wording. No figure is shown for fewer than 500 tests; an item is shown only if it appears on at least 50 tests and 1% of the base. Repair prices are typical UK prices for the job from published UK repair-cost guides, checked September 2026 — not for this model, and not a quote. Pass rates describe a group of cars, not one car: a well-kept example can pass and a neglected one can fail. This page is general information, not advice about any particular vehicle; always have a used car inspected before you buy. SortedCars is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. You can check any car’s MOT history free on the official service: gov.uk/check-mot-history. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.