Hyundai Elantra MOT pass rate & common failures
The Hyundai Elantra appears in 1,721 MOT tests spanning model years 1999–2023, and 70.1% of them passed. That is 4.8 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.1%. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (18.0%) and lighting & signalling (16.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), headlamp aim and component mounting prescribed areas — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 172 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 39.4% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.5pp more often than petrol ones (32.4% vs 27.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 40.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 30.8% in 2021 to 28.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Elantra model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 176 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 232 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 219 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 247 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 351 | 66.4% | 33.6% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 158 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 36 | 61.1% | 38.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 41 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 31 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 31 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 30 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 18.0% | 310 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 16.7% | 288 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.9% | 205 |
| 4 | Visibility | 7.4% | 127 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.1% | 122 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.6% | 97 |
| 7 | Tyres | 5.1% | 88 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.6% | 45 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 172 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 169 |
| 3 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 102 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 90 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 89 |
| 6 | Wipers | 86 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 78 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 75 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 40.0% | 689 |
| 2 | Suspension | 31.4% | 541 |
| 3 | Tyres | 26.4% | 454 |
| 4 | Other defects | 17.8% | 307 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 16.9% | 290 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.7% | 235 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 71 | 12.7% |
| 30-60k | 318 | 23.3% |
| 60-90k | 614 | 29.6% |
| 90-120k | 400 | 33.3% |
| 120-150k | 219 | 35.2% |
| 150k+ | 99 | 39.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 956 | 27.8% |
| Diesel | 763 | 32.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 529 | 30.8% |
| 2022 | 416 | 29.3% |
| 2023 | 344 | 29.9% |
| 2024 | 242 | 29.8% |
| 2025 | 190 | 28.4% |
What to check before buying a Hyundai Elantra
- Brakes (18.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Lighting & signalling (16.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Hyundai Elantra?
70.1% of the 1,721 Hyundai Elantra MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 29.9% fail rate, across model years 1999–2023.
What does the Hyundai Elantra most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 18.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (16.7%).
How much does mileage affect Elantra MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 39.4% for 150k+, a 26.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Elantra more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.8% of the time against 32.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,721 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.