Used Vauxhall Mokka review and buying guide (2012 to 2019): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Vauxhall Mokka should you buy?

The 1.4 Turbo petrol is the Mokka to buy, because the biggest known fault on this car belongs to the 1.6 CDTi diesel. That engine's timing chain tensioner lets oil drain away when it's parked, so the chain clatters without oil pressure each time it's started from cold, with the wear showing up between 40,000 and 90,000 miles. The petrol isn't flawless: two owners of 1.4 Turbo manuals have had the clutch and dual-mass flywheel fail at low mileages, so try the clutch properly before you hand over any money.

There's only one generation, sold from 2012 to 2019, and the later cars wear the Mokka X badge. Nothing in the known faults marks the Mokka X out as fixed, so don't assume a later diesel has dodged the chain problem. A 2018 Mokka X 1.4 Turbo manual had its clutch and flywheel fail at 4,500 miles, so a late car still needs the same clutch check as an early one.

The 1.7 CDTI diesel, which turns up on 2013 and 2014 cars in owner reports, doesn't feature in the known faults. It's still a diesel with a particulate filter, though, and one owner who used theirs for short runs from cold had it clog by 2,391 miles. If most of your driving is town work, the petrol makes more sense whichever year you're looking at.

Which Mokka engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.4 Turbo petrol is the safer engine, with one Medium known fault: the coolant expansion tank develops hairline cracks and the pressure cap fails, usually between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. It's a slow leak rather than a sudden failure, so a dropping coolant level is the giveaway. On the manual, owners have reported clutch and dual-mass flywheel failures, one at just 4,500 miles, so check the clutch properly on any 1.4 Turbo manual.

Avoid the 1.6 CDTi diesel. Its original timing chain tensioner has no gasket, oil drains out when the engine's off, and the chain rattles for a few seconds on each cold start until oil pressure builds, which wears it. On top of that, it's a known fault that short-journey cars block the particulate filter, the interrupted regenerations thin the oil with diesel, and that contaminated oil can then wreck the turbo somewhere between 40,000 and 100,000 miles.

The older 1.7 CDTI diesel has no known fault listed, but one owner reported heavy oil use on a 2013 car and another paid £263 for a forced filter regeneration on a 2014 car used for short runs. For the gearbox, the six-speed automatic is a torque converter; one owner had a servo valve inside it fail and faced a five-week wait for the part.

What should you check when viewing a used Mokka?

Insist on starting the engine from cold yourself. On a 1.6 CDTi, a metallic rattle for a few seconds after it fires, or ticking at idle, points to a worn timing chain, and an engine management light alongside it is another sign. Pull the dipstick too: an oil level that's risen above the mark means diesel is getting into the oil, which is the route to turbo failure.

On a 1.4 Turbo, open the bonnet and look at the coolant expansion tank for a crusty pink residue along its seams, and check the level hasn't dropped. A sweet antifreeze smell in the engine bay is the same leak. On a manual, ask for receipts if the clutch and flywheel have already been replaced. One owner's clutch pedal stopped working at 37,000 miles because of a hydraulic leak, and the clutch then had to be replaced, so make sure the pedal feels firm.

Ask for proof of recall work. There's one for a front seat side airbag that could fail to deploy as intended on 2016 cars, one for water getting into the brake control module connector with a risk of fire, and one for a steering wheel bolt that wasn't tightened properly on a small batch of 2012 cars. A dealer can confirm what's been done against the car's details.

On a 4x4, get underneath and look at the rear differential casing, because one owner's rusted right through on a 2013 car. Check the wipers work at every speed (one owner paid £435 for a new wiper motor at 12,000 miles), and on a diesel, know the filler cap has to be turned until it clicks, or the car can refuse to go faster than 15mph after refuelling.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Vauxhall Mokka A (2012 to 2019) a good buy?

A Mokka A is worth buying as a 1.4 Turbo petrol with a clutch that feels right and a coolant tank that isn't weeping, but skip the 1.6 CDTi diesel. It's got a five-star Euro NCAP rating and rear seats that fold flat, and you can have a manual or a six-speed auto, with 4x4 on some cars.

The 1.6 CDTi's timing chain problem shows up between 40,000 and 90,000 miles, and its filter and turbo trouble between 40,000 and 100,000, so a diesel in that bracket needs a careful cold start and a dipstick check. The 1.4 Turbo's coolant tank cracks between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. Owners of 1.4 Turbo manuals have also reported clutch and flywheel failures at low mileages.

Owner reports throw up some odd faults too. One owner's 2014 car lost its electric power steering at 29,000 miles, a 2016 1.4 Turbo auto had a faulty wiring loom behind a traction control warning and was taken off the road, with the owner still waiting for the part 11 weeks later, and a 2014 diesel kept refusing to start with no fault codes stored. Check every warning light goes out after starting.

Look at the seats and wheels as well. One owner of a 2013 car found a squeaking driver's seat was down to a faulty back frame and paid £330 after the maker covered most of the cost. Another found the alloys on a 2016 diesel blistering and peeling around the rims by 22,000 miles, so check the inside of each wheel.

What does a used Vauxhall Mokka cost to run?

What do Mokka owners like about them?

The back seats fold down flat, so there's no awkward step in the floor when you're sliding something long into the back. With them folded, the load space runs all the way from the tailgate up to the front seats, which makes a run to the tip or a flat-pack collection straightforward.

The boot's a usable shape too, because its narrowest point is only a little tighter than its widest, so the sides run fairly straight. That means boxes and suitcases sit square against each other rather than having to be wedged in at an angle, and there isn't much wasted space around the edges of the floor.

• The Mokka achieved a Five Star Euro NCAP rating, with high scores for adult, child, and safety assist protection.
• The rear seats of the Mokka fold completely flat, enhancing its practicality for carrying larger items.
• The load length from the rear seats to the tailgate measures 720 mm, offering good cargo capacity.
• With the front seats folded, the load length to the tailgate extends to 1480 mm, accommodating longer items.
• The narrowest point of the load width in the Mokka's boot measures 920 mm, providing ample space.