Calculate my fail sheet

Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Check your postcode

Pass rate by postcode →

Pass rate, every year

72.1% Below average

29,904 tests across 8 model years, 2000–2007.

−8.9 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Suzuki Wagon-R+ really fares

72.1% of its MOTs pass — over 29,904 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

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

The Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT pass rate is 72.1%, −8.9 percentage points below the UK average. That is 29,904 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2007. This page lists the most common Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Suzuki Wagon-R+ passed on its first attempt in 63.4%, and its overall record sits −8.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Suzuki Wagon-R+ in the 2023–2025 data: 29,904 tests across 8 model years (2000–2007). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed29,904
Overall pass rate72.1%
Passed on first attempt63.4%
Average mileage at test76,250 mi
Model years covered2000–2007 (8 years)
Versus UK national average−8.9 pts below

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

Most Common Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Suzuki Wagon-R+, 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 Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 24% 2,946
Suspension 23% 2,781
Body, chassis, structure 19% 2,320
Brakes 14% 1,673
Visibility 10% 1,245
Steering 8% 1,016
Noise, emissions and leaks 2% 187

Shares are over the Suzuki Wagon-R+'s recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 24% of the recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ 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" (6.8%), "Position lamp not working" (2.9%), "Stop lamp not working" (0.1%) among the Suzuki Wagon-R+'s lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 23% of the recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (5.1%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (3.7%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (0.5%) among the Suzuki Wagon-R+'s suspension faults.

Body, chassis, structure

Around 19% of the recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (4.9%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (2.9%) among the Suzuki Wagon-R+'s body, chassis, structure faults.

Top Recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Suzuki Wagon-R+, each with how many of the model's 29,904 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,029 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 6.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,515 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 5.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,466 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 1,109 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 1,066 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,065 Suzuki Wagon-R+ tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.

What Wagon-R+ fails on more than most

The 8 biggest of 16 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.

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
Play in steering rack inner joint Non-component advisories 13.8% 1.6% 8.6× £120–£300
Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes 31.6% 4.6% 6.9× £80–£180 part £25–£55
Exhaust system insecure Body, chassis, structure 7.2% 1.1% 6.5× £45–£120
Wheel bearings rough when rotated Suspension 3.5% 0.6% 5.8× £20–£55
Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded Suspension 6.2% 1.1% 5.6× £180–£450
Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes 2.2% 0.4% 5.5× £25–£70
Suspension arm corroded Suspension 7.3% 1.4% 5.2× £35–£85
Service brake imbalance across an axle Brakes 3.1% 0.7% 4.4× £45–£110

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (29,904 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 Wagon-R+ 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 Wagon-R+ Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Suzuki Wagon-R+ model year on record is 2006 (74.9% across 2,229 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (67.7%). The gap between them is 7.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Suzuki Wagon-R+ reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.0 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2007 Wagon-R+ 2,039 74.7% 67.3% 72,358 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 Wagon-R+ 2,229 74.9% 67.8% 75,340 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2005 Wagon-R+ 4,806 73.6% 65.8% 75,021 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2004 Wagon-R+ 5,980 73.2% 65.0% 76,216 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2003 Wagon-R+ 5,908 71.6% 62.6% 78,644 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2002 Wagon-R+ 4,567 69.7% 59.2% 75,348 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2001 Wagon-R+ 2,962 70.7% 61.6% 77,749 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2000 Wagon-R+ 1,413 67.7% 56.2% 79,320 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Suzuki Wagon-R+ Owners

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

  • 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 Wagon-R+. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Suzuki Wagon-R+ is most common

Across every Wagon-R+ model year on record (2000–2007): 10,819 Suzuki Wagon-R+ cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 29,901 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 339 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 Birmingham (B) 339 3.1% 839 75.1%
2 Portsmouth (PO) 335 3.1% 1,088 72.2%
3 Peterborough (PE) 261 2.4% 726 72.0%
4 Brighton (BN) 256 2.4% 761 71.2%
5 Ashford (TN) 256 2.4% 721 73.9%
6 Norwich (NR) 236 2.2% 748 69.7%
7 Nottingham (NG) 230 2.1% 635 70.4%
8 Gloucester (GL) 215 2% 611 73.3%
9 Bristol (BS) 198 1.8% 600 65.8%
10 Canterbury (CT) 192 1.8% 625 72.3%
11 Sheffield (S) 190 1.8% 500 74.8%
12 Maidstone (ME) 187 1.7% 509 78.8%
13 Exeter (EX) 183 1.7% 582 66.3%
14 Swansea (SA) 178 1.6% 518 69.7%
15 Cardiff (CF) 175 1.6% 506 70.2%
16 Plymouth (PL) 171 1.6% 539 67.3%
17 Leicester (LE) 168 1.6% 441 75.5%
18 Poole (BH) 160 1.5% 501 72.7%
19 Southampton (SO) 156 1.4% 430 72.6%
20 Milton Keynes (MK) 149 1.4% 379 75.2%

The twenty areas with the most Suzuki Wagon-R+ 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 Wagon-R+ MOT & Reliability

What is the Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT pass rate?

72.1% of the 29,904 recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT tests ended in a pass, −8.9 percentage points below the national average. 63.4% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Suzuki Wagon-R+ model years pass the MOT most often?

2006 is the strongest Suzuki Wagon-R+ year on record at 74.9%, while 2000 is the weakest at 67.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Suzuki Wagon-R+ MOT failures?

The most recorded Suzuki Wagon-R+ failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.