What year Vauxhall Cavalier is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1980 Vauxhall Cavalier has the highest pass rate at 77.4%, out of 105 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Vauxhall Cavalier MOT failures?

The most common Vauxhall Cavalier MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Vauxhall Cavalier — Reliability by Year

192,466 vehicles · MOT data 1980–1996 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Vauxhall Cavalier was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

1980

77.4% pass rate · 105 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1992

59.6% pass rate · 21,294 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1996	68.4%	106,673 mi	303
1995	66.8%	116,575 mi	42,693
1994	64.7%	122,115 mi	48,496
1993	63.7%	124,701 mi	39,075
1992	59.6%	116,884 mi	21,294
1991	59.9%	116,996 mi	14,031
1990	59.9%	114,598 mi	10,965
1989	61.3%	110,629 mi	9,771
1988	64.2%	65,760 mi	1,954
1987	65.5%	55,647 mi	1,004
1986	68.0%	53,046 mi	925
1985	68.5%	59,182 mi	868
1984	67.8%	52,258 mi	434
1983	71.0%	55,558 mi	333
1982	72.5%	55,235 mi	215
1980	77.4%	58,646 mi	105

Which year Vauxhall Cavalier is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests. Green = noticeably above average for this model; red = noticeably below average.

Tests range from an average of 52,258 miles (newest year) to 124,701 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Vauxhall Cavalier.

See the buying guide →

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