Does the Vauxhall Cavalier fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Vauxhall Cavalier records 4.52 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.39 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.13, 95% interval +0.68 to +1.57). It ranks 103 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Vauxhall Cavalier by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Cavalier is “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired”, recorded 327 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 327 | 3.72 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,791 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Vauxhall Cavalier by postcode area · Vauxhall Cavalier body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Cavalier brakes failures · Vauxhall Cavalier vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Cavalier lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Cavalier noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Cavalier steering failures · Vauxhall Cavalier suspension failures · Vauxhall Cavalier tyres failures · Vauxhall Cavalier visibility failures