Hyundai Tucson MOT pass rate & common failures
707,576 MOT tests on the Hyundai Tucson (1983–2025) give it an 87.8% pass rate. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail at 11.9%, so the Tucson sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are brakes, visibility and tyres.
Best and worst Tucson years
Ranked across Tucson 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2023 cars pass 94.9% of the time while 2004 cars manage 68.3%, a 26.6-point spread.
No single area dominates — brakes (5.1%) and visibility (4.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, brake pads and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 25,180 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.0% in the 0-30k band and 30.4% in the 150k+ band, a 23.5-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 6.6% fail against 13.9% for diesel, a 7.4-point gap across 359,132 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Tucson model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2,422 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 9,116 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 10,429 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 7,969 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 4,537 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 4,638 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 1,830 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 28,780 | 83.8% | 16.2% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 117,262 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 135,988 | 88.0% | 12.0% | Brakes |
| 2018 | 139,647 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Brakes |
| 2019 | 120,970 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 44,268 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 46,790 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 30,618 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Visibility |
| 2023 | 1,809 | 94.9% | 5.1% | Visibility |
| 2024 | 405 | 96.5% | 3.5% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 5.1% | 35,855 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.0% | 28,646 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.0% | 28,272 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 20,075 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.8% | 12,570 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 7,718 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.6% | 4,523 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.6% | 4,280 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 25,180 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 20,910 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 20,902 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 13,097 |
| 5 | Washers | 8,267 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 6,948 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 5,720 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 4,912 |
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 | 24.6% | 174,451 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.7% | 125,261 |
| 3 | Other defects | 9.2% | 64,858 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.1% | 36,046 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 21,778 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.8% | 12,906 |
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 | 212,654 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 316,578 | 11.4% |
| 60-90k | 121,248 | 16.9% |
| 90-120k | 39,248 | 24.1% |
| 120-150k | 13,420 | 28.5% |
| 150k+ | 4,407 | 30.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 348,421 | 11.3% |
| Diesel | 315,320 | 13.9% |
| Hybrid | 43,812 | 6.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 96,389 | 11.3% |
| 2022 | 124,440 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | 137,497 | 12.3% |
| 2024 | 159,777 | 12.8% |
| 2025 | 189,473 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a Hyundai Tucson
- Brakes (5.1% 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.
- Visibility (4.0% 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.
- 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.
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 Tucson?
87.8% of the 707,576 Hyundai Tucson MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.2% fail rate, across model years 1983–2025.
What does the Hyundai Tucson most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 5.1% of tests, then visibility (4.0%).
Which Tucson years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 94.9% and 2004 the weakest at 68.3%, from 1,809 and 2,422 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Tucson MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.4% for 150k+, a 23.5-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Tucson more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 6.6% of the time against 13.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 707,576 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.