Vauxhall Corsa - Reliability and safety
Despite featuring good levels of safety kit, the Vauxhall Corsa misses out on a top Euro NCAP rating
The latest Vauxhall Corsa achieved a four-star rating (out of a possible five) from Euro NCAP in its crash tests, with scores of 84 and 86 per cent, respectively, for adult and child occupant protection. Poor whiplash protection for rear-seat passengers brought the overall score down, meaning the Corsa trails five-star rivals like the Audi A1 and Renault Clio, all of which were tested under the same criteria.
Every Corsa comes with a lane departure warning and lane-keep assist system to help keep you within your lane on a motorway and speed sign recognition to warn you of changing speed limits. There’s also automatic emergency braking as standard to try and mitigate or even prevent low-speed collisions with other vehicles. Top-spec Ultimate cars add adaptive cruise control to keep you at a safe distance from the car in front.
The Corsa didn’t rank in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey from 2023, while Vauxhall’s position in the manufacturers poll dropped from 19th position in 2022 to 24th in 2023.
Warranty
A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty covers all Vauxhall cars. This is par for the course, matching that offered on the Volkswagen Polo, but lagging behind the five-year coverage offered on the Hyundai i20, or the up to ten years you could get with the Toyota Yaris. There’s a separate eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty for the battery pack on Vauxhall Corsa Electric models.
Servicing
Vauxhall offers a range of servicing packages; Vauxhall Care is the most comprehensive, offering three years of servicing, two years of roadside assistance and a free MoT when your car needs it. Standalone fixed-price services are also available, including all parts and labour with no hidden costs, plus a 12-month warranty on any work.
Used - available now
2018 Vauxhall
Corsa
20,605 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L
Cash £10,403
2019 Vauxhall
Corsa
17,019 milesManualPetrol1.4L
Cash £9,994
2022 Vauxhall
Corsa
37,783 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £10,500
2023 Vauxhall
Corsa
19,338 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £15,000All the cars using the 1.2-litre petrol, whether in non-turbo, turbocharged, or mild-hybrid forms, need servicing every 12 months or 12,500 miles. These engines also need a timing belt change every six years or 62,500 miles.
What do owners think
Here’s what owners in the 2024 Driver Power survey thought of the Vauxhall Corsa.
| What they like | What they don't like |
| “It provides the perfect combination of good handling, a roomy cabin and comfortable seats.” | “The car has few storage spaces, while the boot is too small to store luggage and the charging cable.” |
| “Considering how relatively cheap the Corsa is, it looks, feels and drives like a far more expensive car.” | “The touchscreen locks up so that functions can’t be altered, and I have to use the steering wheel controls.” |
| “It’s perfect for one person, and the boot is plenty big enough for a weekly supermarket shop.” | “On the motorway, the battery is so poor that I have to stop to recharge after less than 100 miles.” |
| “The safety systems work well, so I feel reassured, especially when my young daughter is in the car.” | “There isn’t much cabin storage. The fusebox fills the glovebox to the point that it’s unusable.” |
| “I own a Jaguar XJR, and my Corsa is every bit as much fun to drive because it’s so small, light and agile.” | “My car has been at the dealer for six weeks because of the failure of lots of safety features.” |
| “I think the exterior design is great. My Corsa looks very sporty and I’m really impressed with the finish.” | |
| “It’s a fantastic car that’s so easy to drive. The steering is really light and the ride is very comfortable, which makes the Corsa an enjoyable car to drive over long distances.” | |
| “The front seats offer plenty of support so even long journeys are comfy. The car’s controls are user-friendly, but the screens could do with being a bit bigger to improve visibility.” | |
| “It’s a small car but despite this it has sufficient legroom, while the generous front-seat adjustment makes it flexible enough. My brother-in-law is very tall and when he’s sitting in the back seat, he has no problems, so the Corsa is very roomy.” |
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