2017 Hyundai Ioniq — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 31,511 MOT tests, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq recorded a 90.9% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 11.9% of the time, so this is 2.8pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.1%) and lighting & signalling (3.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and service brake performance — tread depth alone was recorded 735 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 10.8% once past 150k.
The electric cars hold up better: 5.6% fail against 9.3% for hybrid, a 3.7-point gap across 31,478 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 19.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.1% | 1,288 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.3% | 1,047 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.3% | 1,032 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.6% | 812 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.0% | 311 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 162 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 735 |
| 2 | Wipers | 725 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 549 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 379 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 288 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 267 |
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 | 19.3% | 6,088 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.1% | 3,494 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.8% | 1,506 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.8% | 877 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.0% | 631 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 516 |
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 | 4,647 | 5.9% |
| 30-60k | 11,320 | 8.6% |
| 60-90k | 7,236 | 10.2% |
| 90-120k | 3,729 | 10.9% |
| 120-150k | 2,142 | 10.6% |
| 150k+ | 2,437 | 10.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 30,365 | 9.3% |
| Electric | 1,113 | 5.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,151 | 6.2% |
| 2022 | 6,265 | 7.7% |
| 2023 | 6,410 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 6,371 | 10.9% |
| 2025 | 6,314 | 11.1% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Ioniq
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.1% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (3.3% 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.
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 2017 Hyundai Ioniqs pass their MOT?
90.9% of the 31,511 2017 Hyundai Ioniq MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq?
Tyres, recorded in 4.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.3%).
Does the 2017 Ioniq get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.9% in the 0-30k band to 10.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 31,511 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.