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General Motors Corvette Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free General Motors Corvette car check

Is the General Motors Corvette reliable? We analysed 1,057 real MOT tests across 102 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 1,057 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
83.3%
Typical Mileage
56,167mi
Annual Mileage
490mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
37yrs

The General Motors Corvette is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Common problems include parking brake: efficiency below requirements, windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid and parking brake recording little or no effort. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used General Motors Corvette.

General Motors Corvette Number Plates

Number plates registered to a General Motors Corvette. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

General Motors Corvette MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a General Motors Corvette to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

90.2%
1991
81%
1990
87.9%
1989

General Motors Corvette Problems — What Goes Wrong?

The most common reasons a General Motors Corvette fails its MOT, ranked by how often they occur. Check for these problems before you buy.

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 34
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 25
parking brake recording little or no effort 20
Horn not working 17
Stop lamp not working 15
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 14
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel 13
Direction indicator incorrect colour 11
brake recording little or no effort 11
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 11

General Motors Corvette Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical General Motors Corvette owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
129 mi/yr
Typical
490 mi/yr
Average
1,475 mi/yr
Heavy usage
1,436 mi/yr

General Motors Corvette MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the General Motors Corvette year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
1991 61 90.2% 14,844 46,314 76,536
1990 105 81.0% 53,216 68,294 75,171
1989 116 87.9% 61,650 71,657 83,164

How Long Does a General Motors Corvette Last?

Based on 102 General Motors Corvette vehicles on UK roads.

Average
26.4 years
Median
27.0 years
Estimated max lifespan
37 years

General Motors Corvette Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all General Motors Corvette MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
56,167 mi
75th Percentile
78,077 mi
95th Percentile
109,621 mi
Max Recorded
208,440 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used General Motors Corvette

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
1991

90.2% MOT pass rate from 61 tests

Year to avoid
1990

81.0% MOT pass rate from 105 tests

The best year to buy a used General Motors Corvette is 1991, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 90.2% across 61 tests. The 1990 model year has the lowest pass rate at 81.0% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the General Motors Corvette Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
General Motors Corvette THIS CAR 83.3% 1,057 56,167 mi 37 yrs
General Motors Cadillac 75.7% 10,952 60,944 mi 27 yrs
General Motors Chevrolet 78.8% 10,021 58,749 mi 48 yrs
General Motors Pontiac 78.3% 3,114 74,731 mi 47 yrs
Harley-davidson Fxdf Fat Bob 1584 11 89.7% 1,447 10,707 mi 16 yrs

Compared to the General Motors Cadillac (75.7% pass rate) and the General Motors Chevrolet (78.8% pass rate), the General Motors Corvette outperforms both on MOT reliability.

Found a General Motors Corvette you like?

Run a full vehicle history check on the specific car. See finance, stolen, write-off, mileage and MOT data for that exact vehicle.

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Should you buy a used General Motors Corvette?

The General Motors Corvette has an overall MOT pass rate of 83.3% across 1,057 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

The most common problems on the General Motors Corvette are parking brake: efficiency below requirements (34 recorded failures), windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (25), and parking brake recording little or no effort (20). These are the faults most likely to cause an MOT failure on this model, so check for them carefully on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection. Many are wear-and-tear items that can be budgeted for, but a car that's already failing on multiple fronts may signal neglected maintenance.

A typical General Motors Corvette owner drives around 490 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

In terms of longevity, most General Motors Corvette models stay on UK roads for around 37 years — a strong showing that suggests solid build quality and readily available parts. If you're buying one that's already approaching that window, the data suggests it has plenty of life left provided it's been maintained.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

General Motors Corvette — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the General Motors Corvette reliable?
Based on 1,057 MOT tests, the General Motors Corvette has a 83.3% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a General Motors Corvette?
The most common MOT failures are parking brake: efficiency below requirements, windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid, and parking brake recording little or no effort. Check these on any test drive.
How many miles does a General Motors Corvette do per year?
The typical General Motors Corvette does around 490 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a General Motors Corvette last?
Most General Motors Corvette models stay on UK roads for around 37 years based on our analysis of 102 vehicles.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a General Motors Corvette?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a General Motors Corvette?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used General Motors Corvette is 1991 with a 90.2% pass rate across 61 tests.