What year Vauxhall Nova is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1983 Vauxhall Nova has the highest pass rate at 72.9%, out of 9,803 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Vauxhall Nova MOT failures?

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

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Vauxhall Nova — Reliability by Year

134,564 vehicles · MOT data 1983–1993 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Vauxhall Nova 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

1983

72.9% pass rate · 9,803 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1991

60.2% pass rate · 7,448 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1993	60.4%	60,911 mi	3,719
1992	61.7%	60,002 mi	11,142
1991	60.2%	60,159 mi	7,448
1990	60.6%	59,203 mi	7,034
1989	62.4%	58,812 mi	15,284
1988	63.3%	58,312 mi	12,893
1987	64.7%	55,908 mi	7,758
1986	66.1%	55,977 mi	9,467
1985	68.9%	54,826 mi	20,248
1984	69.4%	53,788 mi	29,768
1983	72.9%	52,795 mi	9,803

Which year Vauxhall Nova is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests.

Tests range from an average of 52,795 miles (newest year) to 60,911 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 Nova.

See the buying guide →

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