Hyundai I20 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

82.7% Around average

442,812 tests across 16 model years, 2008–2023.

+1.7 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Hyundai I20 really fares

82.7% of its MOTs pass — over 442,812 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Hyundai I20 MOT pass rate is 82.7%, +1.7 percentage points above the UK average. That is 442,812 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2008 and 2023. This page lists the most common Hyundai I20 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Hyundai I20 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Hyundai I20 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Hyundai I20 passed on its first attempt in 79.4%, and its overall record sits +1.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Hyundai I20 in the 2023–2025 data: 442,812 tests across 16 model years (2008–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed442,812
Overall pass rate82.7%
Passed on first attempt79.4%
Average mileage at test53,527 mi
Model years covered2008–2023 (16 years)
Versus UK national average+1.7 pts above

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Hyundai I20 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Hyundai I20, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 39% 38,172
Suspension 24% 23,606
Visibility 19% 18,456
Brakes 10% 10,176
Tyres 4% 3,631
Body, chassis, structure 3% 2,557
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 2% 1,479
Noise, emissions and leaks 0% 444

Shares are over the Hyundai I20's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 39% of the recorded Hyundai I20 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (3.5%), "Position lamp not working" (3.1%), "Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier" (0.8%) among the Hyundai I20's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 24% of the recorded Hyundai I20 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (3.1%), "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.9%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (0.2%) among the Hyundai I20's suspension faults.

Visibility

Around 19% of the recorded Hyundai I20 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.7%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.2%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.7%) among the Hyundai I20's visibility faults.

Top Recorded Hyundai I20 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Hyundai I20, each with how many of the model's 442,812 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 15,710 Hyundai I20 tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 13,785 Hyundai I20 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 13,672 Hyundai I20 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 8,343 Hyundai I20 tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 7,364 Hyundai I20 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 5,256 Hyundai I20 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

What I20 fails on more than most

1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension 2.1% 0.7% 3.0× £18–£45

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (442,812 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items I20 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

Best and Worst Hyundai I20 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Hyundai I20 model year on record is 2023 (93.6% across 236 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (75.5%). The gap between them is 18.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2023 I20 236 93.6% 93.1% 19,738 mi Wipers blade defective
2022 I20 5,641 90.5% 89.6% 22,136 mi Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively
2021 I20 8,030 91.6% 90.9% 23,617 mi Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively
2020 I20 13,063 93.5% 93.1% 25,972 mi Wipers blade defective
2019 I20 23,365 92.1% 91.4% 32,004 mi Wipers blade defective
2018 I20 27,971 90.8% 89.9% 39,594 mi Wipers blade defective
2017 I20 38,366 88.8% 87.4% 47,292 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2016 I20 46,124 87.3% 85.5% 53,450 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2015 I20 43,513 86.0% 83.9% 60,196 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2014 I20 46,394 81.6% 77.8% 62,267 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 I20 46,619 77.5% 71.6% 67,540 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2012 I20 36,510 75.9% 69.0% 72,281 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2011 I20 36,339 75.5% 68.5% 80,346 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 I20 35,730 75.6% 69.1% 81,405 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 I20 34,567 75.6% 68.8% 83,356 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2008 I20 344 77.0% 71.3% 85,243 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Hyundai I20 Owners

These checks follow this Hyundai I20's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Hyundai I20.

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

  • the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

    With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

  • the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

    Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Hyundai I20. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Hyundai I20 MOT & Reliability

What is the Hyundai I20 MOT pass rate?

82.7% of the 442,812 recorded Hyundai I20 MOT tests ended in a pass, +1.7 percentage points above the national average. 79.4% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Hyundai I20 model years pass the MOT most often?

2023 is the strongest Hyundai I20 year on record at 93.6%, while 2011 is the weakest at 75.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Hyundai I20 MOT failures?

The most recorded Hyundai I20 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Position lamp not working" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.