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Vauxhall Tigra, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

4,098 Vauxhall Tigras are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 53.1% of initial MOT tests, 19.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Tigra? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Vauxhall Tigra at the MOT

53.1% of 5,339 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Tigra 554th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Vauxhall Tigra53.1%
  • All Vauxhall modelsThe Tigra is 12.7 pts behind65.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Where Tigras fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Vauxhall Tigra tests in 2025.

  • Brakes24.8%
  • Suspension20%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment19.4%
  • Tyres9%
  • Body, chassis, structure7.5%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (5.8%), rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (5.4%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4%).

The MOT page lists every common Tigra MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Vauxhall Tigra MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Tigra's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. 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.24.8% of Tigra failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20% of Tigra failure items

  3. 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.19.4% of Tigra failure items

Vauxhall Tigras in the UK

4,098 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 82% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−82%from 22,743 licensed
Typical year of first use
2007half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2007 or earlier
Declared off the road
2,93642% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Vauxhall Tigras since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201422,743
End of 201520,515
End of 201618,788
End of 201717,369
End of 201815,703
End of 201913,787
End of 202012,001
End of 202110,216
End of 20228,780
End of 20237,267
End of 20245,697
End of 20254,579
End of June 20264,098

How old they are

Licensed Vauxhall Tigras by year of first use.

A further 45 were first used before 1999.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
20115
20109
20091,129
2008829
2007928
2006960
2005479
2004128
20030
20020
20014
200028
199916

Tigra engines and fuel

1.4 litre engines made up 78% of Vauxhall Tigra MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.8 litre at 19%. Petrol accounts for 98% of licensed Tigras and diesel for 1.8%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 5,338 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.4 litre78.3%
  • 1.8 litre18.9%
  • 1.3 litre1.7%

Fuel type, licensed Tigras

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol4,02398%
Diesel752%

Vauxhall Tigra recalls

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Vauxhall Tigra. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Tigra is affected.

  1. Jun 2015 R/2015/091

    Fire may occur

    Tigras built Oct 2003 to Jul 2008 · 15,271 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Moisture can ingress and accumulate inside the ABS control unit. Excessive accumulation of moisture may cause a fire.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles install an additional ABS module protection cover.

  2. Dec 2007 R/2007/171

    ABS may fail

    Tigras built Jan 2003 to Nov 2007 · 345,634 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It is possible for moisture to enter the ABS connector/control unit. This can cause the ABS system not to function correctly and in the worst case overheating which may lead to fire.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to check the ABS control unit fit a protective cover to the control unit and seal the earth point with wax.

  3. Sep 2007 R/2007/118

    Steering control may be lost

    557 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The retaining ring of the steering gear pinion might be out of it's retaining groove. In the worst case the steering gear pinion may lose engagement resulting in loss of steering control
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and replace steering gear assembly

  4. Mar 2006 R/2006/006

    Water ingress into ABS wiring may cause a short circuit and a fire

    217,374 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that the above vehicles could be affected by moisture ingress at the ABS connector. The moisture can enter through the ground wiring connection which can lead to the ABS not functioning correctly overheating within the connector and in extreme cases a fire.
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will have the ABS harness plug checked for moisture ingress and where necessary the wiring harness and control unit will be replaced. In all other cases the ground cable will be secured against ingress of moisture by soldering the cable sockets and applying shrink tubes.

  5. Jul 2005 R/2005/082

    Airbag could become loose

    246 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Constant quality controls have revealed that on some vehicles the passenger side airbag mounting fixing screws were not torqued to the correct specification. This could result in the airbag unit becoming loose.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and tighten the two airbag retaining screws

  6. Feb 2001 R/2001/005

    Seat security concern

    Tigras built Jan 1993 to Dec 1999 · 586,554 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Driver and front passenger seat adjuster rails may fracture and cause seat to become insecure.
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and fit reinforcing plates to the seat runners. Fit new runners if the original ones are fractured.

  7. Feb 2001 R/2001/004

    Seat belt latching concern

    Tigras built Jan 1999 to Dec 2000 · 116,378 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Driver and front passenger seat belt latching mechanism may separate when loaded in a frontal impact.
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and fit quality assured seat belt buckles.
How to check a specific Tigra for recalls

Other Vauxhall models

The most-tested Vauxhall models in 2025, against the Tigra's 53.1% MOT pass rate.

All 20 Vauxhall models

Vauxhall Tigra FAQs

How many Vauxhall Tigras are there in the UK?

4,098 Vauxhall Tigras were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,936 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Vauxhall Tigra 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 53.1% first-time pass rate for the Vauxhall Tigra across 5,339 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Vauxhall Tigra had any recalls?

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Vauxhall Tigra. The most recent was published in June 2015. 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 Tigra?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. 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 Tigra'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 Tigra?

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.