Vauxhall

Which year Vauxhall Frontera is most reliable?

Based on 65,716 vehicles (1991–2004) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Frontera at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Frontera at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2003
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Fronteras
Below model average
1991–1995
Lower pass rate than other Fronteras — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1991 →
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Dataset
65,716
vehicles · 1991–2004 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1997–2001
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 67.7–71.2% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2004
73.1%
769
2003
73.5%
2,020 Recommended
2002
73.2%
1,416
2001
71.2%
1,997
2000
70.2%
4,343
1999
68.3%
5,823
1998
68.7%
6,096
1997
67.7%
6,241
1996
65.8%
6,936
1995
62.4%
7,895 Below avg
1994
58.3%
9,539 Below avg
1993
56.1%
7,359 Below avg
1992
46.6%
4,796 Below avg
1991
42.7%
486 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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