2020 Hyundai Ioniq — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 26,802 MOT tests, the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq recorded a 92.2% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 8.8% of the time, so this is 1.0pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.0%) and lighting & signalling (3.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 954 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2020 Ioniq fails 6.9% of the time in the 0-30k band and 9.8% at 150k+, a spread of only 2.9 points.
The electric cars hold up better: 6.5% fail against 8.5% for hybrid, a 2.1-point gap across 26,792 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 18.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 3.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 8.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.0% | 1,058 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.7% | 999 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.3% | 876 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.4% | 372 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.4% | 117 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 68 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 954 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 842 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 592 |
| 4 | Headlamp levelling device | 246 |
| 5 | Washers | 194 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 153 |
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 | 18.7% | 5,008 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.3% | 1,700 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.3% | 1,167 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.6% | 693 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 0.8% | 210 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.5% | 135 |
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 | 10,105 | 6.9% |
| 30-60k | 10,963 | 8.1% |
| 60-90k | 3,735 | 8.5% |
| 90-120k | 1,383 | 10.1% |
| 120-150k | 432 | 9.0% |
| 150k+ | 184 | 9.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 17,403 | 8.5% |
| Electric | 9,389 | 6.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 264 | 3.4% |
| 2022 | 824 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 8,474 | 8.3% |
| 2024 | 8,574 | 7.3% |
| 2025 | 8,666 | 8.2% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Ioniq
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.0% 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 (3.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 2020 Hyundai Ioniqs pass their MOT?
92.2% of the 26,802 2020 Hyundai Ioniq MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq?
Tyres, recorded in 4.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.7%).
Does the 2020 Ioniq get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.9% in the 0-30k band to 9.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 26,802 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.