Hyundai i20 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 133,064 initial MOT tests on the Hyundai i20 in Great Britain, and 72.6% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Hyundai i20 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 133,064
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 72.6%
Failed at firstIncluding 6.6% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 27.4%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 6.2%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 3,582 off the road (SORN): 160,602

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the i20 fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
11.3%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Brakes
7.5%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
3Suspension
6.5%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Visibility
6.4%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
5Tyres
5.1%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
2.0%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Body, chassis and structure
1.8%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Seat belts and airbags
1.5%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Steering
1.1%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.2%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Position lampsLamps and electrics4.0%
Brake performanceBrakes3.5%
WashersVisibility3.5%
Suspension armsSuspension3.2%
ConditionTyres3.0%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics3.0%
WipersVisibility3.0%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.7%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	350	91.1%	1.7%
2022	7,631	84.9%	3.2%
2021	6,008	87.8%	2.6%
2020	4,206	88.1%	3.2%
2019	7,404	86.2%	4.5%
2018	8,690	84.1%	4.8%
2017	11,699	81.3%	5.2%
2016	13,740	79.1%	5.7%
2015	12,732	77.5%	6.1%
2014	12,841	67.4%	6.7%
2013	12,200	60.1%	6.8%
2012	9,273	58.5%	8.0%
2011	9,038	59.3%	9.2%
2010	8,796	60.1%	9.3%
2009	8,358	57.1%	9.0%

Mileage

i20 mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	19,200 miles	6,186
3 years	24,300 miles	6,491
4 years	28,300 miles	4,345
5 years	33,600 miles	6,450
6 years	39,700 miles	8,004
7 years	47,500 miles	9,992
8 years	53,600 miles	13,055
9 years	59,000 miles	12,068
10 years	62,500 miles	13,319
11 years	66,100 miles	12,462
12 years	70,900 miles	10,691
13 years	78,400 miles	8,646
14 years	81,400 miles	8,369
15 years	82,800 miles	9,689
16 years	84,700 miles	3,201

Checking a particular i20?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Hyundai i20: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Hyundai i20?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Hyundai i20 was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 11.3% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came brakes (7.5%) and suspension (6.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Hyundai i20?

72.6% of 133,064 initial MOT tests on the Hyundai i20 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 6.6% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Hyundai i20 is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 6.2% of initial tests on the Hyundai i20 found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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