Suzuki Baleno MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Suzuki Baleno MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Suzuki Baleno passed on its first attempt in 79.4%, and its overall record sits +1.6 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Suzuki Baleno in the 2023–2025 data: 23,277 tests across 6 model years (2000–2019). 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 Baleno MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Suzuki Baleno DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Suzuki Baleno, each with how many of the model's 23,277 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 2,009 Suzuki Baleno tests, 8.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 1,618 Suzuki Baleno tests, 6.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 485 Suzuki Baleno tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 426 Suzuki Baleno tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 406 Suzuki Baleno tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Horn not working" (Major) — noted on about 340 Suzuki Baleno tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Suzuki Baleno Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Suzuki Baleno model year on record is 2019 (89.9% across 3,407 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (72.0%). The gap between them is 17.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Suzuki Baleno reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.2 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 Baleno Owners

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

• 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 wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Suzuki Baleno MOT & Reliability