2016 Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate: 74.1% (27,991 tests)
Is the 2016 Adam getting worse?
Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 78.5% -4.6 vs same-age |
78.5% visual scale |
| 2024 | 73.8% -7.4 vs same-age |
73.8% visual scale |
| 2025 | 69.8% -9.8 vs same-age |
69.8% visual scale |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2016 Adam
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 4,799 | 32.1% |
| 2 | Steering | 2,816 | 18.9% |
| 3 | Tyres | 2,158 | 14.4% |
| 4 | Brakes | 1,523 | 10.2% |
| 5 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1,341 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Visibility | 1,007 | 6.7% |
All Adam years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22,537 | 70.2% | -3.1 pts | 65,519 |
| 2014 | 39,316 | 70.1% | -5.7 pts | 59,641 |
| 2015 | 32,000 | 72.7% | -6.0 pts | 52,245 |
| 2016 (this page) | 27,991 | 74.1% | -7.2 pts | 46,677 |
| 2017 | 22,254 | 77.0% | -7.0 pts | 41,298 |
| 2018 | 16,082 | 81.3% | -5.1 pts | 32,870 |
| 2019 | 14,193 | 85.7% | -2.7 pts | 24,869 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Vauxhall Adam years to avoid.
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2016 Vauxhall Adam reliable?
2016-registered examples passed 74.1% of their MOT tests (27,991 tests, 2023–2025), -7.2 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 46,677 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2016 Adam?
The median tested example shows 46,677 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Before you agree to the work
A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
- What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
- Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
- Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
- Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.