Vauxhall Viva, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
37,751 Vauxhall Vivas are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 78.6% of initial MOT tests, 6.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Viva? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Vauxhall Viva at the MOT
78.6% of 38,153 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Viva 218th of 575 models. Vauxhall Vivas aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.9% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 78%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Vauxhall Viva tests in 2025.
Where Vivas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Vauxhall Viva tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative (16%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (10.5%) and linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.1%).
The MOT page lists every common Viva MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Viva's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.31.9% of Viva failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.16.3% of Viva 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.15.5% of Viva failure items
Vauxhall Vivas in the UK
37,751 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 92% since the end of 2016.
- Change since 2016
- +92%from 19,679 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 2against 14,277 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 1,1272.9% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Vauxhall Vivas since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 721 |
| End of 2015 | 5,851 |
| End of 2016 | 19,679 |
| End of 2017 | 29,298 |
| End of 2018 | 34,622 |
| End of 2019 | 38,856 |
| End of 2020 | 38,714 |
| End of 2021 | 38,691 |
| End of 2022 | 38,612 |
| End of 2023 | 38,469 |
| End of 2024 | 38,242 |
| End of 2025 | 38,015 |
| End of June 2026 | 37,751 |
How old they are
Licensed Vauxhall Vivas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 764 were first used before 2000.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3,996 | 4,184 |
| 2018 | 5,305 | 5,565 |
| 2017 | 9,433 | 9,953 |
| 2016 | 13,419 | 14,277 |
| 2015 | 5,044 | 5,436 |
| 2014 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 0 |
5,044 Vivas first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 93% of the 5,436 first registered that year.
Viva engine sizes
1.0 litre engines made up 99% of Vauxhall Viva MOT tests in 2025. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed Vivas.
Vauxhall Viva recalls
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the Vauxhall Viva. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Viva is affected.
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Apr 2016 R/2016/090
Risk of driveshaft failure
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to insufficient coating during manufacture the drive-shafts) may corrode and fracture. In the event that the drive-shaft is fractured the vehicle loses drive but steering and braking will be still be available.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles replace both drive shafts.
Other Vauxhall models
The most-tested Vauxhall models in 2025, against the Viva's 78.6% MOT pass rate.
Vauxhall Viva FAQs
How many Vauxhall Vivas are there in the UK?
37,751 Vauxhall Vivas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,127 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Vauxhall Viva 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 78.6% first-time pass rate for the Vauxhall Viva across 38,153 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Vauxhall Viva had any recalls?
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the Vauxhall Viva. The most recent was published in April 2016. 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 Viva?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, visibility and suspension. 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 Viva'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 Viva?
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.