2005 Vauxhall Vivaro MOT pass rate: 55.5% (16,857 tests)

2005-registered Vauxhall Vivaros passed 55.5% of 16,857 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 9.0 points worse than same-age cars (64.5%). This is one of the strongest Vivaro years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

55.5%Pass rate, 2005 cars

91.0Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

16,857Tests analysed

151,129 miMedian mileage at test

58.8% / 55.5%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2005 Vivaro getting worse?

Pass rate of 2005-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	55.3% -8.9 vs same-age
2024	55.4% -8.8 vs same-age
2025	55.8% -9.5 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 2005 Vivaro

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	8,282	24.2%
2	Suspension	8,184	23.9%
3	Brakes	7,463	21.8%
4	Steering	2,490	7.3%
5	Body, chassis, structure	2,128	6.2%
6	Visibility	2,120	6.2%

All Vivaro years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2002	2,270	54.1%	-11.6 pts	154,856
2003	5,976	54.2%	-10.8 pts	157,734
2004	11,737	55.6%	-8.7 pts	156,338
2005 (this page)	16,857	55.5%	-9.0 pts	151,129
2006	21,195	53.7%	-10.8 pts	149,611
2007	24,527	54.5%	-10.7 pts	148,512
2008	24,245	55.0%	-10.1 pts	150,987
2009	11,862	53.8%	-12.7 pts	144,929
2010	18,921	52.6%	-14.7 pts	144,701
2011	30,884	53.7%	-15.5 pts	140,163
2012	25,378	54.8%	-16.4 pts	134,706
2013	29,713	57.2%	-16.2 pts	128,194
2014	37,303	59.7%	-16.2 pts	112,643
2015	64,574	63.3%	-15.4 pts	104,542
2016	56,773	66.3%	-15.1 pts	89,288
2017	36,582	69.1%	-14.9 pts	85,752
2018	34,038	73.5%	-12.9 pts	71,770
2019	17,147	76.9%	-11.5 pts	67,572

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

Buying a 2005 Vivaro? 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 2005 Vauxhall Vivaro reliable?

2005-registered examples passed 55.5% of their MOT tests (16,857 tests, 2023–2025), -9.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 21 years old with a median 151,129 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2005 Vivaro?

The median tested example shows 151,129 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.