Know Your MOT
23.8%fail rate

Opel Manta common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Opel Manta fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 9,931 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 23.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Opel Manta in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 46.0% of the Opel Manta's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, exhaust & emissions. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical46.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Suspension33.8% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Brakes32.6% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Exhaust & emissions18.6% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Visibility/wipers14.8% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Body & structure14.2% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198023.7% fail · 186 tests
198122.8% fail · 162 tests
198216.4% fail · 122 tests
198326.7% fail · 656 tests
198422.7% fail · 1,097 tests
198525.3% fail · 1,330 tests
198625.3% fail · 1,182 tests
198724.2% fail · 1,742 tests
198824.2% fail · 1,309 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Opel Manta headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Opel Manta headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Opel Manta headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Opel Manta suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Opel Manta suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Opel Manta suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Opel Manta brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Opel Manta brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Opel Manta brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Opel Manta exhaustSearch Amazon for Opel Manta exhaustaffiliate searchFind Opel Manta exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Opel Manta wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Opel Manta wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Opel Manta wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Opel Zafira MOT failures31.3% failure rateOpel Astra MOT failures30.6% failure rateOpel Corsa MOT failures34.0% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain