Hyundai i40 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Hyundai i40 appears in 132,040 MOT tests spanning model years 2011–2020, and 81.4% of them passed. That is effectively the same as large family cars of a similar age (17.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst i40 years
Ranked across i40 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 89.8% of 2019 examples pass against 74.6% of 2011 ones.
No single area dominates — brakes (7.0%) and lighting & signalling (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, track rod end and tread depth — brake pads alone was recorded 5,405 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.5% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 5.2pp more often than diesel ones (23.7% vs 18.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 17.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every i40 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3,844 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 21,344 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 18,193 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 22,823 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 21,747 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 20,634 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 14,604 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 6,701 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 2,147 | 89.8% | 10.3% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.0% | 9,241 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 8,512 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.9% | 7,803 |
| 4 | Steering | 4.2% | 5,561 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.1% | 5,411 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.0% | 3,908 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 1,525 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.7% | 974 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 5,405 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 4,885 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 3,921 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 3,920 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 3,271 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 3,254 |
| 7 | Wipers | 2,670 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,257 |
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 | 27.3% | 36,037 |
| 2 | Brakes | 26.4% | 34,791 |
| 3 | Other defects | 10.5% | 13,879 |
| 4 | Suspension | 9.5% | 12,565 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 7,302 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.7% | 6,163 |
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 | 4,588 | 9.0% |
| 30-60k | 26,723 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 41,041 | 18.1% |
| 90-120k | 32,269 | 21.4% |
| 120-150k | 16,602 | 22.1% |
| 150k+ | 10,802 | 22.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 130,208 | 18.5% |
| Petrol | 1,832 | 23.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,528 | 17.5% |
| 2022 | 27,476 | 17.5% |
| 2023 | 27,018 | 18.7% |
| 2024 | 25,817 | 19.5% |
| 2025 | 24,201 | 19.8% |
What to check before buying a Hyundai i40
- Brakes (7.0% 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 (6.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.9% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Hyundai i40?
81.4% of the 132,040 Hyundai i40 MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.6% fail rate, across model years 2011–2020.
What does the Hyundai i40 most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 7.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (6.5%).
Which i40 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 89.8% and 2011 the weakest at 74.6%, from 2,147 and 3,844 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect i40 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.5% for 150k+, a 13.6-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol i40 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 18.5% of the time against 23.7% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 132,040 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.