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Suzuki SX4 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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Pass rate, every year

79.8% Around average

139,592 tests across 15 model years, 2006–2020.

−1.2 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Suzuki SX4 really fares

79.8% of its MOTs pass — over 139,592 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

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

The Suzuki SX4 MOT pass rate is 79.8%, −1.2 percentage points below the UK average. That is 139,592 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2006 and 2020. This page lists the most common Suzuki SX4 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Suzuki SX4 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Suzuki SX4 passed on its first attempt in 75.2%, and its overall record sits −1.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Suzuki SX4 in the 2023–2025 data: 139,592 tests across 15 model years (2006–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed139,592
Overall pass rate79.8%
Passed on first attempt75.2%
Average mileage at test69,677 mi
Model years covered2006–2020 (15 years)
Versus UK national average−1.2 pts below

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

Most Common Suzuki SX4 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Suzuki SX4, the Suspension 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
Suspension 32% 11,459
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 26% 9,372
Brakes 15% 5,459
Visibility 13% 4,721
Body, chassis, structure 7% 2,544
Tyres 5% 1,886
Noise, emissions and leaks 3% 929

Shares are over the Suzuki SX4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Suspension

Around 32% of the recorded Suzuki SX4 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (3.7%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (3.2%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.8%) among the Suzuki SX4's suspension faults.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 26% of the recorded Suzuki SX4 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" (3.4%), "Position lamp not working" (1.4%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (1.1%) among the Suzuki SX4's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Brakes

Around 15% of the recorded Suzuki SX4 failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (1.7%), "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (0.9%), "Service brake performance excessively binding" (0.8%) among the Suzuki SX4's brakes faults.

Top Recorded Suzuki SX4 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Suzuki SX4, each with how many of the model's 139,592 tests it was noted on.

  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 5,182 Suzuki SX4 tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 4,693 Suzuki SX4 tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 4,432 Suzuki SX4 tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 2,467 Suzuki SX4 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 2,422 Suzuki SX4 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,989 Suzuki SX4 tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.

What SX4 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
Brake hose ferrule corroded Brakes · year by year → 3.7% 1.0% 3.7× £25–£70

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (139,592 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 SX4 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 Suzuki SX4 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Suzuki SX4 model year on record is 2020 (95.4% across 1,151 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (68.7%). The gap between them is 26.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Suzuki SX4 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.0 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2020 SX4 1,151 95.4% 95.2% 27,037 mi Headlamp aim too high
2019 SX4 6,303 93.4% 92.9% 31,635 mi Wipers blade defective
2018 SX4 8,776 90.9% 90.1% 40,654 mi Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
2017 SX4 10,698 88.8% 87.5% 48,768 mi Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
2016 SX4 11,176 87.2% 85.4% 59,343 mi Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
2015 SX4 12,556 85.7% 83.5% 66,937 mi Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
2014 SX4 22,370 82.3% 78.7% 72,721 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 SX4 12,411 76.7% 70.2% 72,394 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2012 SX4 7,609 72.7% 63.1% 76,250 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2011 SX4 8,698 72.1% 62.4% 82,246 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2010 SX4 7,926 71.4% 61.4% 87,465 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2009 SX4 7,568 70.7% 60.6% 89,467 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2008 SX4 9,573 71.5% 61.9% 93,745 mi Ball joint excessively worn
2007 SX4 9,170 69.5% 58.4% 98,473 mi Ball joint excessively worn
2006 SX4 3,607 68.7% 58.0% 98,016 mi Coil spring fractured or broken

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Suzuki SX4 Owners

These checks follow this Suzuki SX4's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Suzuki SX4.

  • the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

    Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

  • 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 excessively worn”

    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 Suzuki SX4. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Suzuki SX4 is most common

Across every SX4 model year on record (2006–2020): 52,499 Suzuki SX4 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 139,590 tests. Sheffield (S) has the most, with 1,389 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

# Postcode area Cars Share of all Tests Pass rate
1 Sheffield (S) 1,389 2.6% 3,851 81.8%
2 Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) 1,357 2.6% 3,965 79.2%
3 Peterborough (PE) 1,217 2.3% 3,359 82.4%
4 Glasgow (G) 961 1.8% 2,501 76.8%
5 Cardiff (CF) 935 1.8% 2,730 76.5%
6 Birmingham (B) 934 1.8% 2,204 82.1%
7 Nottingham (NG) 915 1.7% 2,508 78.4%
8 Newport (NP) 866 1.6% 2,477 78.7%
9 Edinburgh (EH) 864 1.6% 2,489 76.2%
10 Bradford (BD) 809 1.5% 2,112 79.5%
11 Gloucester (GL) 801 1.5% 2,204 78.9%
12 Exeter (EX) 779 1.5% 2,273 78.2%
13 Leeds (LS) 777 1.5% 2,109 77.8%
14 Brighton (BN) 769 1.5% 2,206 79.9%
15 Ipswich (IP) 733 1.4% 1,992 85.1%
16 Portsmouth (PO) 728 1.4% 2,131 79.2%
17 York (YO) 723 1.4% 2,116 76.3%
18 Paisley (PA) 722 1.4% 1,996 81.3%
19 Aberdeen (AB) 695 1.3% 2,145 75.1%
20 Swansea (SA) 691 1.3% 2,029 78.0%

The twenty areas with the most Suzuki SX4 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Suzuki SX4 MOT & Reliability

What is the Suzuki SX4 MOT pass rate?

79.8% of the 139,592 recorded Suzuki SX4 MOT tests ended in a pass, −1.2 percentage points below the national average. 75.2% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Suzuki SX4 model years pass the MOT most often?

2020 is the strongest Suzuki SX4 year on record at 95.4%, while 2006 is the weakest at 68.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Suzuki SX4 MOT failures?

The most recorded Suzuki SX4 failures are "Coil spring fractured or broken" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.