Vauxhall Adam
Registered from 2012 to 2019.
About this model
The Opel Adam is a city car engineered and produced by the German car manufacturer Opel, and is named after the company's founder Adam Opel. It was sold under the Vauxhall marque in the United Kingdom. It was launched in France at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, with sales starting in the beginning of 2013.
From the Wikipedia article Opel Adam, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2014 1.2 petrol. 2,293 of 10,543 tests failed, 22%.
Better than 23% of 2014 cars. The typical one fails 17%, across 870 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 46% | 1,050 |
| Steering | 29% | 673 |
| Tyres and wheels | 24% | 542 |
| Brakes | 19% | 432 |
| Lights and electrics | 16% | 366 |
| Visibility | 12% | 267 |
The defects inspectors cite
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Where it stands out against its peers
- Steering: failed more often than 95% of 2014 cars — 29% of its 2,293 failed tests, where an ordinary 2014 car has 4%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Suspension — 46% of its failures
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- Steering — 29% of its failures
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Tyres and wheels — 24% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Brakes — 19% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 16% of its failures
- Visibility — 12% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 120–140k miles this one fails 23% of its inspections, about what an ordinary car of the same age does.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 14% | 7% | 243 | |
| 20–40k miles | 18% | 11% | 1,928 | |
| 40–60k miles | 22% | 15% | 4,133 | |
| 60–80k miles | 23% | 19% | 2,982 | |
| 80–100k miles | 26% | 21% | 951 | |
| 100–120k miles | 30% | 23% | 247 | |
| 120–140k miles | 23% | 23% | 47 |
10,531 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.2 petrol · 1086 kg · 2311 mm wheelbase · 6.1 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1.2 petrol · 1086 kg · 2311 mm wheelbase · 5.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 1.2 petrol · 69 hp · 1110 kg · 2310 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 1.2 petrol · 68 hp · 1109 kg · 2311 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2015 | 1.2 petrol · 68 hp · 1109 kg · 2311 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2014 | 1.2 petrol · 69 hp · 1116 kg · 2308 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2013 | 1.4 petrol · 94 hp · 1168 kg · 2311 mm wheelbase · 5.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/0553/17
The locking mechanism of the parking brake may become loose. Vehicles with a manual transmission could roll away in case no gear has been engaged while parking on a slope.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/1722/15
The joint between the stub axle and the front lower suspension arm may become detached, causing a loss of driving stability.
Recall of the product from end users