Suzuki Swift common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 135,247 initial MOT tests on the Suzuki Swift in Great Britain, and 72.3% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Suzuki Swift at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 135,247
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 72.3%
Failed at firstIncluding 7.2% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 27.7%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 5.8%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 8,182 off the road (SORN): 161,131

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

Failure areas

Where the Swift 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
12.2%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
8.6%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Brakes
8.2%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Visibility
5.6%
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
1.9%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
0.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.6%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
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 electrics4.9%
Brake performanceBrakes4.4%
Stop lampLamps and electrics4.1%
WipersVisibility3.4%
Suspension armsSuspension3.2%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.8%
ConditionTyres2.7%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.4%

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	293	96.6%	1.0%
2022	4,611	93.2%	2.1%
2021	7,495	89.5%	2.1%
2020	7,994	88.4%	2.7%
2019	10,949	86.6%	3.0%
2018	10,126	83.9%	4.1%
2017	8,065	79.9%	4.1%
2016	10,406	76.2%	4.8%
2015	12,336	74.3%	4.9%
2014	10,067	70.8%	5.6%
2013	8,698	67.9%	6.1%
2012	8,858	64.5%	7.8%
2011	6,065	61.4%	7.4%
2010	5,687	55.8%	8.9%
2009	6,265	54.1%	10.0%
2008	6,449	52.1%	10.5%
2007	6,000	51.1%	11.3%
2006	3,329	50.5%	10.8%
2005	1,083	48.6%	13.3%

Mileage

Swift 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	17,300 miles	3,820
3 years	21,900 miles	6,789
4 years	27,500 miles	7,486
5 years	33,400 miles	9,581
6 years	40,100 miles	10,407
7 years	46,100 miles	8,440
8 years	51,400 miles	8,660
9 years	57,800 miles	11,686
10 years	63,700 miles	11,264
11 years	70,100 miles	8,965
12 years	77,500 miles	8,814
13 years	83,300 miles	7,391
14 years	85,600 miles	5,725
15 years	86,500 miles	6,021
16 years	92,500 miles	6,059
17 years	93,800 miles	6,534
18 years	96,100 miles	4,462
19 years	96,800 miles	2,216
20 years	94,600 miles	388

Checking a particular Swift?

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

Suzuki Swift: common questions

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

What is the most common MOT failure on the Suzuki Swift?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Suzuki Swift was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 12.2% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (8.6%) and brakes (8.2%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Suzuki Swift?

72.3% of 135,247 initial MOT tests on the Suzuki Swift in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 7.2% 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 Suzuki Swift 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. 5.8% of initial tests on the Suzuki Swift 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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