Suzuki Alto MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Suzuki Alto MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Suzuki Alto passed on its first attempt in 74.8%, and its overall record sits −1.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Suzuki Alto in the 2023–2025 data: 174,258 tests across 13 model years (2001–2015). 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 Suzuki Alto MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Suzuki Alto, 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 Suzuki Alto's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Suzuki Alto DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Suzuki Alto, each with how many of the model's 174,258 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 10,661 Suzuki Alto tests, 6.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 9,837 Suzuki Alto tests, 5.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 8,298 Suzuki Alto tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 5,317 Suzuki Alto tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 4,040 Suzuki Alto tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 3,934 Suzuki Alto tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Suzuki Alto Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Suzuki Alto model year on record is 2015 (83.1% across 6,372 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (66.4%). The gap between them is 16.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Suzuki Alto reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.2 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Suzuki Alto Owners

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

• 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 brake pipes — “rigid brake pipes excessively corroded”

  Brake pipes run under the car, usually in front of the rear wheels. Flaking or crusty metal is what fails; a light dusting of surface rust does not. Worth asking a garage to look while it is on a ramp.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Suzuki Alto MOT & Reliability