Vauxhall Combo years to avoid: 2015, 2016, 2017

Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial

Inspect most carefully: 2015, 2016, 2017. Strongest in the data: 2010 or 2011. The ranking uses 267,595 MOT test records across 20 qualifying registration-year cohorts in the 2023–2025 DVSA test extracts and compares each cohort with all UK cars of the same age. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Same-vehicle follow-up for common certificate lines on this model is further down: how often the same item failed the next year, and how often the car was not tested again. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 7.4-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Combo year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2011 Strong 96.9 -3.1 pts 66.1% 22,248
2 2010 Strong 95.8 -4.2 pts 63.2% 19,857
3 2019 92.0 -8.0 pts 80.4% 46,469
4 2005 91.9 -8.1 pts 56.3% 6,976
5 2008 91.3 -8.7 pts 56.5% 15,779
6 2021 91.1 -8.9 pts 81.6% 1,725
7 2009 90.9 -9.1 pts 57.3% 11,694
8 2004 90.2 -9.8 pts 54.5% 6,223
9 2006 89.9 -10.1 pts 54.3% 10,374
10 2020 89.8 -10.2 pts 79.7% 23,623
11 2007 89.8 -10.2 pts 54.9% 13,296
12 2002 88.9 -11.1 pts 54.6% 1,598
13 2014 88.7 -11.3 pts 64.6% 14,433
14 2013 88.7 -11.3 pts 62.2% 9,617
15 2003 88.7 -11.3 pts 53.7% 4,591
16 2018 88.2 -11.8 pts 74.6% 8,870
17 2012 87.8 -12.2 pts 59.1% 8,697
18 2015 Inspect 87.0 -13.0 pts 65.8% 15,487
19 2016 Inspect 86.5 -13.5 pts 67.9% 15,191
20 2017 Inspect 85.2 -14.8 pts 69.3% 10,847

Why 2015 and 2016 and 2017 rank lower

The 2015 cohort passes 65.8% of tests (-13.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 99,054 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2016 cohort passes 67.9% of tests (-13.5 points versus same-age cars) at a median 90,302 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2017 cohort passes 69.3% of tests (-14.8 points versus same-age cars) at a median 78,298 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

What happened next on this model

Year rankings are age-adjusted pass rates. The figures below are a same-vehicle follow-up for certificate lines that appear often enough on this model (at least 200 cars). They are not a repair quote and they do not isolate a turbo, DSG, or clutch part.

National rankings for the not-retested gap: cars not tested again. Repair-hold rates: repairs that did not hold.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2015 example beats a neglected 2010 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (7.4 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Combo years should I avoid?

Based on 267,595 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2015, 2016, 2017 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Combo year to buy used?

2010 and 2011 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Combo reliable overall?

Across 267,595 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 89.8 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

What data is required before a years-to-avoid guide is published?

We publish a guide only when a model has at least five registration-year cohorts old enough for a routine first MOT, each based on at least 1,500 Class 4 initial MOT tests pooled across the stated DVSA extract years, and at least 60,000 tests across those cohorts. From the models that pass those gates, this release includes the 220 models with the largest pooled samples. Retests are excluded.

How are the Strong and Inspect labels assigned?

Strong considers only the two highest-ranked registration-year cohorts and labels either one that is within 1.5 index points of the best. Inspect considers only the three lowest-ranked cohorts and labels a year only when its index is no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are MOT test records, not unique vehicles.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Pass rate uses DVSA result codes (P + PRS) ÷ (P + PRS + F): passes and passes after rectification at the test divided by those outcomes plus failures. Class 4 initial-test records only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 records per registration-year cohort. “Strong” considers the top two cohorts within 1.5 index points of the best. “Inspect” considers only the bottom three cohorts, then requires an index no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.