2009 Vauxhall Corsa MOT pass rate: 64.9% (139,514 tests)

2009-registered Vauxhall Corsas passed 64.9% of 139,514 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 1.5 points worse than same-age cars (66.4%). This is one of the strongest Corsa years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

64.9%Pass rate, 2009 cars

98.5Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

139,514Tests analysed

85,750 miMedian mileage at test

65.1% / 63.5%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2009 Corsa getting worse?

Pass rate of 2009-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	64.4% -2.4 vs same-age
2024	65.1% -1.1 vs same-age
2025	65.3% -0.8 vs same-age

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 2009 Corsa

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	41,507	28.9%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	36,326	25.3%
3	Noise, emissions and leaks	14,548	10.1%
4	Brakes	13,934	9.7%
5	Tyres	13,182	9.2%
6	Body, chassis, structure	10,005	7.0%

All Corsa years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	9,679	58.4%	-8.1 pts	74,785
2002	14,472	57.8%	-7.9 pts	77,339
2003	21,910	57.1%	-7.9 pts	78,116
2004	25,936	57.2%	-7.1 pts	79,054
2005	35,675	57.1%	-7.3 pts	79,844
2006	51,794	57.8%	-6.6 pts	82,364
2007	99,538	62.9%	-2.2 pts	89,505
2008	129,237	63.9%	-1.2 pts	88,137
2009 (this page)	139,514	64.9%	-1.5 pts	85,750
2010	154,470	65.6%	-1.7 pts	82,199
2011	174,178	67.6%	-1.6 pts	79,703
2012	215,521	67.6%	-3.7 pts	75,758
2013	215,198	68.4%	-5.0 pts	70,738
2014	220,645	67.1%	-8.7 pts	64,726
2015	260,137	71.8%	-6.9 pts	59,178
2016	224,345	75.3%	-6.1 pts	52,382
2017	154,256	77.9%	-6.1 pts	44,602
2018	156,173	81.8%	-4.6 pts	36,550
2019	124,597	85.2%	-3.2 pts	29,280

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Vauxhall Corsa years to avoid.

Buying a 2009 Corsa? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2009 Vauxhall Corsa reliable?

2009-registered examples passed 64.9% of their MOT tests (139,514 tests, 2023–2025), -1.5 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 17 years old with a median 85,750 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2009 Corsa?

The median tested example shows 85,750 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.

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 OGL v3.0.