Hyundai Sonata MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Hyundai Sonata MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Hyundai Sonata passed on its first attempt in 69.7%, and its overall record sits −5.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Hyundai Sonata in the 2023–2025 data: 1,789 tests across 9 model years (2002–2010). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

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

Most Common Hyundai Sonata MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Hyundai Sonata, 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.

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

Top Recorded Hyundai Sonata DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Hyundai Sonata, each with how many of the model's 1,789 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 152 Hyundai Sonata tests, 8.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 88 Hyundai Sonata tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 68 Hyundai Sonata tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 60 Hyundai Sonata tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 56 Hyundai Sonata tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 48 Hyundai Sonata tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Hyundai Sonata Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Hyundai Sonata model year on record is 2002 (82.7% across 52 tests), and the weakest is 2008 (69.3%). The gap between them is 13.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Hyundai Sonata Owners

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

• 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 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.

• 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Hyundai Sonata MOT & Reliability