Pass rate, every year
81.5% Around average
22,644 tests across 7 model years, 2015–2021.
+0.5 pts vs the national average
SsangYong Tivoli MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2021 89.0%
The strongest of the 7 years on record. See the 2021 page →
Worst year to buy
2015 78.2%
10.8 points below the 2021 peak. See the 2015 page →
The SsangYong Tivoli MOT pass rate is 81.5%, +0.5 percentage points above the UK average. That is 22,644 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2015 and 2021. This page lists the most common SsangYong Tivoli 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 SsangYong Tivoli MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
SsangYong Tivoli MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The SsangYong Tivoli passed on its first attempt in 77.9%, and its overall record sits +0.5 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the SsangYong Tivoli in the 2023–2025 data: 22,644 tests across 7 model years (2015–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 22,644 |
| Overall pass rate | 81.5% |
| Passed on first attempt | 77.9% |
| Average mileage at test | 43,381 mi |
| Model years covered | 2015–2021 (7 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +0.5 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common SsangYong Tivoli MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the SsangYong Tivoli, 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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 58% |
| Visibility | 21% |
| Tyres | 10% |
| Brakes | 9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
Shares are over the SsangYong Tivoli's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 58% of the recorded SsangYong Tivoli 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" (10.2%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (5.4%), "Headlamp not working on dipped beam" (0.3%) among the SsangYong Tivoli's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Visibility
Around 21% of the recorded SsangYong Tivoli failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.1%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.9%), "Washers not working" (0.9%) among the SsangYong Tivoli's visibility faults.
Tyres
Around 10% of the recorded SsangYong Tivoli failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.4%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.3%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.0%) among the SsangYong Tivoli's tyres faults.
Top Recorded SsangYong Tivoli DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the SsangYong Tivoli, each with how many of the model's 22,644 tests it was noted on.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,306 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 10.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (Major) — noted on about 1,212 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 5.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 471 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
- "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 455 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Rectified) — noted on about 440 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 323 SsangYong Tivoli tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
What Tivoli fails on more than most
7 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. 2 have a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) | 5.4% | 0.9% | 6.0× | £5–£20 |
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) | 10.2% | 3.2% | 3.2× | £5–£20 part £6–£18 |
| TPMS warning light on | 0.9% | 0.3% | 3.0× | £45–£95 |
| Service brake fluctuating | 2.6% | 1.0% | 2.6× | £60–£150 |
| Washers not working | 1.7% | 0.7% | 2.4× | £5–£15 |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | 14.5% | 8.6% | 1.7× | £18–£45 part £25–£40 |
| Brake discs worn | 4.9% | 2.9% | 1.7× | £45–£110 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (22,644 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 Tivoli 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 SsangYong Tivoli Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest SsangYong Tivoli model year on record is 2021 (89.0% across 328 tests), and the weakest is 2015 (78.2%). The gap between them is 10.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
SsangYong Tivoli reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.8 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Tivoli | 328 | 89.0% |
| 2020 Tivoli | 956 | 86.3% |
| 2019 Tivoli | 2,395 | 86.8% |
| 2018 Tivoli | 3,724 | 82.5% |
| 2017 Tivoli | 4,520 | 81.2% |
| 2016 Tivoli | 7,192 | 80.2% |
| 2015 Tivoli | 3,529 | 78.2% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for SsangYong Tivoli Owners
These checks follow this SsangYong Tivoli's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a SsangYong Tivoli.
-
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 brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the SsangYong Tivoli. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: SsangYong Tivoli MOT & Reliability
What is the SsangYong Tivoli MOT pass rate?
81.5% of the 22,644 recorded SsangYong Tivoli MOT tests ended in a pass, +0.5 percentage points above the national average. 77.9% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which SsangYong Tivoli model years pass the MOT most often?
2021 is the strongest SsangYong Tivoli year on record at 89.0%, while 2015 is the weakest at 78.2%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common SsangYong Tivoli MOT failures?
The most recorded SsangYong Tivoli failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" — together around 16% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.