Vauxhall Corsa, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
922,957 Vauxhall Corsas are licensed in the UK, the 3rd most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 64.6% of initial MOT tests, 7.7 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Corsa? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Vauxhall Corsa at the MOT
64.6% of 897,411 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Corsa 440th of 575 models. Vauxhall Corsas aged 3 to 5 years passed 83% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 55.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Vauxhall Corsa tests in 2025.
Where Corsas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Vauxhall Corsa tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (8.3%), track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.4%) and stop lamp not working (4.3%).
The MOT page lists every common Corsa MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Corsa's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.25.4% of Corsa failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20.9% of Corsa failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.12% of Corsa failure items
Vauxhall Corsas in the UK
922,957 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Vauxhall. The number licensed has fallen 23% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −23%from 1,193,638 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2015half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2015 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 35,976against 94,211 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 107,08610% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Vauxhall Corsas since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 1,193,638 |
| End of 2015 | 1,200,480 |
| End of 2016 | 1,200,770 |
| End of 2017 | 1,164,281 |
| End of 2018 | 1,132,090 |
| End of 2019 | 1,106,025 |
| End of 2020 | 1,073,950 |
| End of 2021 | 1,047,869 |
| End of 2022 | 1,026,570 |
| End of 2023 | 1,005,060 |
| End of 2024 | 970,416 |
| End of 2025 | 940,026 |
| End of June 2026 | 922,957 |
How old they are
Licensed Vauxhall Corsas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 25,073 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33,965 | 35,976 |
| 2024 | 25,953 | 27,148 |
| 2023 | 38,418 | 40,815 |
| 2022 | 33,636 | 36,014 |
| 2021 | 38,494 | 40,995 |
| 2020 | 43,674 | 46,572 |
| 2019 | 51,414 | 54,451 |
| 2018 | 51,026 | 55,166 |
| 2017 | 49,653 | 54,171 |
| 2016 | 72,355 | 79,955 |
| 2015 | 82,865 | 94,211 |
| 2014 | 68,348 | |
| 2013 | 64,829 | |
| 2012 | 62,970 | |
| 2011 | 49,283 | |
| 2010 | 41,632 | |
| 2009 | 35,437 | |
| 2008 | 31,327 | |
| 2007 | 23,180 | |
| 2006 | 11,618 |
82,865 Corsas first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 88% of the 94,211 first registered that year.
Corsa engines and fuel
1.4 litre engines made up 44% of Vauxhall Corsa MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.2 litre at 41%. Petrol accounts for 92% of licensed Corsas and diesel for 5.9%. Electric examples were 1.4% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 897,367 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Corsas
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 844,697 | 92% |
| Diesel | 54,574 | 6% |
| Battery electric | 21,679 | 2% |
| Hybrid electric | 1,963 | 0.2% |
| Gas | 44 | <0.1% |
Vauxhall Corsa recalls
55 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Vauxhall Corsa. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Corsa is affected.
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Apr 2026 R/2026/182
BCM software missing telltale if LKA unavailable
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Lane Keep Assist tell-tale fails to illuminate if the front camera is blocked meaning no warning light appears in the instrument cluster.
- Remedy
- Update the Body Control Module software.
-
Mar 2026 R/2026/072
Alternator protection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been assembled with contact or with a reduced clearance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. There is a possibility of contact between these components leading to water infiltration and an electrical arch which could trigger a thermal event.
- Remedy
- Replace the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. Check the distance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator and re-position or replace the pipe if required.
-
Oct 2025 R/2025/451
Vauxhall Corsa Mokka Combo ESC software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have incorrect or missing tyre pressure messages displayed in the instrument cluster due to a software deviation.
- Remedy
- Update the Electric Stability Control calibration to ensure the correct tyre pressure warning messages are displayed
-
Aug 2025 R/2025/345
Autonomous Telematics Box
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles have been fitted with the wrong Autonomous Telematic Box. This means it cannot connect to the remoter server making it impossible to make E-Calls or use Intelligent Speed Assistance.
- Remedy
- Replace the Autonomous Telematic Box.
-
Aug 2025 R/2025/342
Emission recall - On Board Diagnostics
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by incorrect performance of the On-Board-Diagnostics related to Selective Catalytic Reduction system and/or Diesel Particle Filter. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may not illuminate in the event of a malfunction and therefore does not comply with emission regulations.
- Remedy
- Update the Engine Control Unit software to ensure compliance to regulations.
-
Jul 2025 R/2025/282
Vauxhall Fuel Pipe
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may be loose connections between a high-pressure fuel pipe and the engine fuel rail which potentially could lead to a leak and risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Retighten the affected connections.
-
Jul 2025 R/2025/245
Vauxhall DV5R Engines Camshaft Chain
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by premature wearing of the camshaft drive chain leading to abnormal noise or to a breakage of the chain in the worst case.
- Remedy
- Update the software to improve oil pressure and reduce wear. Check the engine noise and replace the chain if required. If no problem found change the oil to one with higher viscosity and special anti-wear additives.
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Jun 2025 R/2025/209
Autonomous Telematics Box
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Autonomous Telematics Box (ATB) has no connectivity to the Connected Services features and therefore does not comply with regulatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Replace the ATB to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Corsa vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Vauxhall models
The most-tested Vauxhall models in 2025, against the Corsa's 64.6% MOT pass rate.
Vauxhall Corsa FAQs
How many Vauxhall Corsas are there in the UK?
922,957 Vauxhall Corsas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 107,086 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Vauxhall Corsa reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 64.6% first-time pass rate for the Vauxhall Corsa across 897,411 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Vauxhall Corsa had any recalls?
55 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Vauxhall Corsa. The most recent was published in April 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Vauxhall Corsa?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Vauxhall Corsa's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Corsa?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Vauxhall history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Vauxhall VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.