Fault File
All models / All cars / Small SUVs / Vauxhall Crossland

Vauxhall Crossland

All generations and engines together · 69,602 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 53k

First-time failure at age 7
28.2%
Across 6,954 tests. The average across all tracked models is 19.5%.
Rank at age 7
208 of 239
1 = lowest failure rate among the models tracked.
Typical mileage at age 7
53k miles
Check the mileage view below; low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

How this model wears

Vauxhall CrosslandClass average, all tracked models

Known issues

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 20,978 tests in this band.

Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
11.8%class 0.9%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
8.2%class 0.6%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
4.0%class 6.7%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
3.2%class 2.0%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Fail
3.1%class 0.3%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
2.5%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
1.9%class 1.4%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
1.6%class 0.7%
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
1.4%class 0.8%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
1.3%class 0.8%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
27.1%class 10.1%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
26.9%class 22.9%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
19.2%class 12.7%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
10.0%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
7.4%class 3.4%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
4.0%class 2.2%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
2.9%class 2.2%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
2.5%class 1.6%

Unconfirmed issues

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Wet timing belt degradation (1.2 petrol)

Emerging

The 1.2 PureTech petrol engine, shared across several Stellantis models, uses a timing belt that runs inside the engine oil rather than a dry chain or belt. If the oil isn't kept to the right spec, or the belt goes well past its interval, it can shed material and starve the engine of clean oil. Owners describe a rattly cold start, a lit oil pressure or engine light, and repair bills that range from a belt kit to a full engine rebuild if it's caught late. No recall exists for this, so a stamped service history showing the belt was done is the only real protection.

Reported from around 60k miles on cars with patchy servicing · sources: ClickMechanic, WhoCanFixMyCar

High-pressure fuel pump recall

Confirmed pattern

Vauxhall recalled Crossland petrol models built between March 2019 and February 2020 over a high-pressure fuel pump fitted with insufficient torque, which could work loose and leak fuel. This is a genuine manufacturer-issued safety recall, not forum folklore, and dealers were meant to carry out a free fix. The risk for a used buyer is a car from that build window where the recall was never actioned, which does happen with cars that changed hands quickly or came in privately.

Affects petrol builds March 2019-February 2020 · sources: Autozilla, AutoInsider recall data

Electric parking brake release button failure

Emerging

A recurring complaint across owner reports and independent garages: the parking brake's release button sticks or breaks, leaving the handbrake either not releasing properly or not holding at all. It's been flagged on cars still fairly young, not just high-mileage ones, and the usual fix is replacing the whole handbrake lever assembly behind the centre console. No manufacturer bulletin has turned up for it, so it reads as a wear-prone part rather than something Vauxhall has formally owned.

Reported from early in the car's life onward · sources: Honest John, Haynes, WhoCanFixMyCar

Jerky, hesitant automatic gearbox

Automatics only

Automatic Crosslands are repeatedly described as slow to kick down and jerky or hesitant pulling away from a stop, particularly at low speed in traffic. It doesn't look like one specific part failing so much as how the transmission is mapped, and a fluid service sometimes eases it without curing it outright. Manual cars aren't reported to have the same complaint, so it only matters if you're buying an automatic.

Reported across ages and mileages · sources: Honest John, WhoCanFixMyCar, Autozilla

Clutch wear and judder (manual)

Manual only

Manual Crosslands used mostly for town driving are reported to wear their clutches early, with slipping, a high biting point, or judder on pull-away being the usual signs. It reads as a wear item rather than a design fault, but it comes up often enough in owner write-ups to budget for on a car with a lot of stop-start miles on the clock. Doesn't apply to automatics.

Reported on higher-mileage, town-driven cars · sources: Motorloom, WhoCanFixMyCar

Water ingress through door and window seals

Partly in the MOT data

Several owner forum threads describe water getting into the footwell or door bottoms, usually put down to blocked drain channels or perished door and window seals rather than anything more serious. Corrosion is the measured MOT signature fault for small SUVs in this class, and a car that's sat with a damp sill or footwell for months is exactly the kind of thing that turns into hidden rust later. It's not proof every leak causes rot, but it's the plausible link between what owners complain about and what the data shows, and it costs nothing to check at a viewing.

Reported at various ages · sources: WhoCanFixMyCar, Autozilla, Vauxhall Owners Network forum, MoneySavingExpert forum

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

Check the car's build date against the recall for the high-pressure fuel pump (petrol, March 2019 to February 2020), and confirm it in the service history or via the DVSA recall checker. No record of the fix means an unresolved fuel leak risk, not just missing paperwork.
On a 1.2 petrol, ask for the full service history and find out when the timing belt (wet belt) was last changed. A patchy or missing history is the biggest warning sign for belt failure and expensive engine damage.
Apply and release the handbrake several times and check it holds properly on a slope. A sticky release button or a brake that won't hold points to the known parking brake weak spot.
If it's an automatic, drive it through some stop-start traffic or slow manoeuvring. Jerky or hesitant low-speed changes are widely reported and worth factoring into your offer.
On a manual, pull away from a dead stop a few times, ideally including a slight incline. Slipping, a high biting point, or judder means a clutch that's nearing the end of its life.
Lift the boot carpet and check under the front floor mats for damp or a musty smell, and run a finger round the door and window seals. Damp carpets or perished seals mean water has been getting in, which can hide corrosion starting from the inside out.
Read the full MOT history, not just the pass or fail. The same corrosion advisory repeated year after year means rust that's being pushed to the next test, not fixed.

Others in its class

Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.