Car guides

Vauxhall Adam: common problems, best years and what to check

Funky, customisable city car. Covers 2013–2019 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.

Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide

Is the Vauxhall Adam a good used buy?

Best buy

1.0 Turbo 115 manual

Avoid

Easytronic auto

Who it suits: Style-focused city drivers wanting a personalised small car.

What's good

  • Endless personalisation
  • Fun look
  • Cheap to buy
  • Easy to park

What's not

  • Small boot
  • Three doors only
  • Firm ride
  • Discontinued

By the numbers

  • #128 most common model on UK roads, with about 56k licensed (DfT).
  • The biggest surviving year is 2014: 12.4k cars still licensed.
  • 2013 cars survive 6% better than comparable cars of that year.
  • The most expensive common fault: Easytronic jerky (up to £1,000).

Vauxhall Adam common problems by generation and engine

Vauxhall Adam Adam (2013–2019) · 3-door city car; Rocks

How to spot it: 13 plate to 19 plate. Floating contrasting roof and huge personalisation options.

1.2 / 1.4 / 1.0 Turbo (A12XEL / A14XER / B10XFL, petrol, 2013–2019)

Simple

  • Timing chain noise (1.2/1.4)£400–£90060k+

Faults on any Adam (2013–2019) engine

  • Easytronic jerky£300–£1,000any

Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.

Best and worst Vauxhall Adam years

How many Vauxhall Adams from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.

survives better than similar carsabout averagesurvives worse

Years that outlast similar cars: 2013. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.

Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate and common failures

First-time pass rate (2025)

66%

Average UK car of the same age

73%all makes, same ages as these Vauxhall Adams

MOT tests analysed (2013+ cars)

52,286

Vauxhall Adams pass their MOT first time 8 points less often than the average UK car of the same age (66% vs 73%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.

First registeredPass rateAverage UK car that ageMedian mileage
201363%66%70k miles
201462%69%65k miles
201563%72%58k miles
201666%75%52k miles
201767%78%47k miles
201872%81%39k miles
201978%84%31k miles

Most common MOT failures

  1. Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated8.9 per 100
  2. Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak7.62 per 100
  3. Coil spring: fractured or broken6.27 per 100
  4. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3.08 per 100
  5. Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively2.29 per 100
  6. Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction2.13 per 100
  7. Track rod end: ball joint dust cover insecure2.07 per 100
  8. Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened2.04 per 100

Most common advisories

  1. Tyres: has a tear23.27 per 100
  2. Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak22.06 per 100
  3. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm19.32 per 100
  4. Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened9.59 per 100
  5. Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6.71 per 100
  6. Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick6.36 per 100
  7. Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened4.95 per 100
  8. Coil spring: corroded4.4 per 100

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Does the Vauxhall Adam have a timing belt or chain?

EngineTypeWhenCost
1.2/1.4chaincheck from 60k£400–£900

Vauxhall Adam running costs

Road tax (from April 2017)

£200 a year; +£440 for years 2–6 if the list price was over £40,000 (£50,000 for electric cars).

Road tax (before April 2017)

CO2 band tax: £20 (band A–B, up to 110g/km) to £790 (band M). Most petrol and diesel versions sit in bands B–E, £20–£200 a year.

Insurance groups

4–15

Real-world economy

1.2/1.4: 42–48
1.0 Turbo: 45–52

Servicing (independent)

Minor £130–£190 · Major £220–£320

Tyres

195/55 R16 · set of four £260–£380

Warranty when new

3 years / 60,000 miles; up to 8 years with Vauxhall Promise on newer cars

Is the Vauxhall Adam ULEZ compliant?

  • Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
  • Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.

Safety and practicality

Euro NCAP

Adam: ★★★★☆ (2013)

Boot

170 litres

Seats

4

Vauxhall Adam vs rivals

ModelOn UK roadsInsuranceBootBest buy
Vauxhall Adam56k4–15170 l1.0 Turbo 115 manual
Fiat 500400k3–19185 l2016+ facelift 1.2 manual
MINI Hatch553k13–31211 l2014+ F56 Cooper 1.5 (B38) manual
Citroen DS 3101k13–30285 l1.6 VTi 120 (non-turbo) or BlueHDi
Toyota Aygo279k2–8168 l2014–2022 Mk2 1.0 manual
Hyundai i10269k1–7252 l2014+ i10 1.0/1.2 manual

What to check when buying a used Vauxhall Adam

  • Avoid Easytronic

Vauxhall Adam FAQ

›Is the Vauxhall Adam reliable?

Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 1.0 Turbo 115 manual. Avoid: Easytronic auto.

›What is the Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate?

66% of Vauxhall Adams passed their MOT first time in 2025 (52,286 tests), below the 73% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated.

›What are the most common Vauxhall Adam problems?

The costliest known faults are Timing chain noise. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.

›Does the Vauxhall Adam have a timing belt or chain?

1.2/1.4: chain.

›What is the best year Vauxhall Adam to buy?

By DfT survival data, 2013, 2015, 2016 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.

›How much does a Vauxhall Adam cost to run?

Real-world economy: 1.2/1.4 42–48 mpg; 1.0 Turbo 45–52 mpg. Insurance groups 4–15. A minor service is about £130–£190 at an independent garage.

›How much is road tax on a Vauxhall Adam?

Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.

›Is the Vauxhall Adam ULEZ compliant?

Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.

How we build this guide

We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.

  • How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
  • MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
  • Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
  • Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
  • Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.

This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.

Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.