Used car guide · 1995–2009

Vauxhall Vectra common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Vauxhall Vectra, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 90,274 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

90,274MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
49,171on the UK register
3known faults across all years
2006best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995

What usually goes wrong with a Vauxhall Vectra?

Known faults reported by owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Most apply to certain years or engines only, so check which the car has.

  • Rear axle stub recall

    Cars registered 2002–2008 · All engines

    Some cars were recalled because a rear axle stub might not meet spec.

    At the viewing: Run the free DVSA recall check on the reg.

    Source: What Car?: Vauxhall Vectra (2002-2009) reliability

  • Oil use (2.0 and 2.2 DTI)

    Cars registered 2002–2008 · 2.0 and 2.2 DTI diesel

    The older 2.0 and 2.2 DTI diesels use a lot of oil, and running low causes damage.

    At the viewing: Check the dipstick and listen for unusual engine noises.

    Source: What Car?: Vauxhall Vectra (2002-2009) reliability

  • Suspension clonks

    Cars registered 2002–2008 · All engines

    Clonks from the suspension can be heard on some cars.

    At the viewing: Listen over bumps and pick a car without clonks.

    Source: What Car?: Vauxhall Vectra (2002-2009) reliability

Common Vauxhall Vectra MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Rigid brake pipes

    up to 3.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Exhaust system

    up to 2.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £100–£500 (pipe or section) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for blowing or rattling from underneath at idle, and look for black soot around joints.

  • Coil springs

    up to 1.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Look behind each wheel for a snapped spring coil, and listen for a clunk or twang when turning the wheel lock to lock with the car stopped.

  • Sub-frame

    up to 3.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Steering rack inner joints

    up to 5.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

  • Number plate lights

    up to 2.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

Vauxhall Vectra MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2006 Vauxhall Vectra did best (55% passed first time, 1 point below all 2006 cars) and the 2009 did worst (55%, 4 points below all 2009 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
200955%59% -44,977
200854%57% -328,196
200754%57% -324,658
200655%56% -113,645
200554%57% -36,501
200453%57% -43,856
200354%57% -32,112
200259%58% +11,744
200161%60% +11,828
200061%61% +01,142
199964%63% +1791
199868%65% +3534
199765%65% +0290 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Vauxhall Vectra

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Has the rear axle recall been done?
  2. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 3.1× as often on the Vauxhall Vectra as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the exhaust system? (Flagged at MOT 2.1× as often on the Vauxhall Vectra as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Any recent work on the coil springs? (Flagged at MOT 1.8× as often on the Vauxhall Vectra as on other cars the same age.)
  5. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Vauxhall Vectra?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score