2015 Hyundai i30 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Hyundai i30 passed 82.0% of its 82,980 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 15.6% of the time, so this is 2.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (9.3%) and brakes (8.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), tread depth and stop lamp — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 3,802 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.6% in the 0-30k band and 24.3% in the 150k+ band, a 14.7-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 16.5% fail against 18.7% for diesel, a 2.3-point gap across 82,980 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.3% | 7,731 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.2% | 6,801 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.6% | 5,433 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.1% | 2,557 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.0% | 2,494 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.0% | 836 |
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) | 3,802 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 3,344 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 2,958 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 2,864 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 2,236 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 2,125 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.4% | 22,754 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.1% | 17,497 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.9% | 8,183 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.8% | 7,272 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 4,277 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 2,647 |
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 | 5,332 | 9.6% |
| 30-60k | 32,562 | 15.1% |
| 60-90k | 29,313 | 19.9% |
| 90-120k | 11,106 | 22.6% |
| 120-150k | 3,110 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 1,553 | 24.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 54,100 | 18.7% |
| Petrol | 28,880 | 16.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,237 | 14.8% |
| 2022 | 16,545 | 16.6% |
| 2023 | 16,707 | 18.0% |
| 2024 | 16,837 | 19.8% |
| 2025 | 16,654 | 20.4% |
What to check before buying a 2015 i30
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 9.3% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (9.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.2% 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.
- Tyres (6.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2015 Hyundai i30s pass their MOT?
82.0% of the 82,980 2015 Hyundai i30 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Hyundai i30?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.3% of tests, followed by brakes (8.2%).
Does the 2015 i30 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.6% in the 0-30k band to 24.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 82,980 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.