Vauxhall Corsa
Registered from 1993 to 2026.
About this model
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car manufactured and marketed by Opel since 1982. The car is known as the Vauxhall Corsa in the United Kingdom. Before General Motors sold Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Group in 2017, the Corsa was also rebadged under the Chevrolet, Holden and Buick brands.
From the Wikipedia article Opel Corsa, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2016 1.4 petrol. 13,636 of 78,164 tests failed, 17%.
Better than 21% of 2016 cars. The typical one fails 13%, across 899 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 37% | 5,087 |
| Tyres and wheels | 27% | 3,643 |
| Brakes | 22% | 3,043 |
| Steering | 20% | 2,764 |
| Lights and electrics | 13% | 1,735 |
| Visibility | 12% | 1,627 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Where it stands out against its peers
- Steering: failed more often than 97% of 2016 cars — 20% of its 13,636 failed tests, where an ordinary 2016 car has 2%.
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 — 37% 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
- Tyres and wheels — 27% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Brakes — 22% of its failures
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Steering — 20% of its failures
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Lights and electrics — 13% of its failures
- Visibility — 12% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 160–180k miles this one fails 17% of its inspections, against the 18% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 12% | 6% | 4,998 | |
| 20–40k miles | 15% | 10% | 24,575 | |
| 40–60k miles | 18% | 13% | 29,153 | |
| 60–80k miles | 21% | 16% | 13,948 | |
| 80–100k miles | 24% | 18% | 4,133 | |
| 100–120k miles | 23% | 19% | 958 | |
| 120–140k miles | 24% | 19% | 272 | |
| 140–160k miles | 22% | 19% | 67 | |
| 160–180k miles | 17% | 18% | 35 |
78,139 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 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.2 petrol · 129 hp · 1233 kg · 2540 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2021 | 1.2 petrol · 88 hp · 1113 kg · 2540 mm wheelbase · 5.3 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 1.2 petrol · 1165 kg · 2540 mm wheelbase · 5.6 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 1.4 petrol · 1163 kg · 2510 mm wheelbase · 6.3 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1.4 petrol · 1203 kg · 2510 mm wheelbase · 5.5 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 1.4 petrol · 1173 kg · 2512 mm wheelbase · 5.0 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 1.4 petrol · 86 hp · 1177 kg · 2510 mm wheelbase · 5.0 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2015 | 1.4 petrol · 92 hp · 1188 kg · 2512 mm wheelbase · 5.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2014 | 1.2 petrol · 82 hp · 1157 kg · 2506 mm wheelbase · 5.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2013 | 1.2 petrol · 82 hp · 1167 kg · 2512 mm wheelbase · 5.3 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2012 | 1.2 petrol · 1158 kg · 2511 mm wheelbase · 5.3 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2011 | 1.2 petrol · 1173 kg · 2511 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.
A11/00057/24
The Motor Control Unit (MCU) may be faulty, resulting in that the clutch opens and an unexpected loss of propulsion. This increases the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/00563/22
Vehicles are equipped with wrong wheel screw/s. This may lead to vibration and to the loosening of the wheels during lifetime, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/00762/24
The rear axle has not been properly welded. This may cause cracks to appear and spread, leading to a possible fracture of the rear axle. This could impair the steerability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/01735/23
Friction between the double pedal mechanism and the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) harness, can cause the harness to become damaged. This could cause the wiring to overheat, or might create a short circuit, increasing the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/01877/23
A software error in the engine control unit prevents the malfunction indicator light (MIL) from switching on if the urea injector stops working. This can lead to higher emissions and poses a risk to the environment. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/02694/23
The evaporative emission of the vehicle is too high, causing excessive pollution. The hydrocarbon (HC) level is above the legal limit prescribed for evaporative emissions testing (Type 4). The vehicles do not comply with anti-pollution standards. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the type-approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) nor with the requirements of the Directive 2007/46/EC on the approval of vehicles and trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/02726/24
A crack located inside the Electric Power Steering motor of the steering rack can cause plastic parts to detach from the worm wheel. This can lead to a steering blockage, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/02827/24
In certain vehicles fitted with the DV5R E6.3 engine, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are above the regulatory limits. Excessive NOx emissions pose a risk to the environment. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
10 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.