Suzuki Alto MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 42 model years and 303,725 tests, the Suzuki Alto passes its MOT 80.3% of the time. Against city cars of a similar age (21.1% fail rate), the Alto comes out 1.4pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Alto years
Ranked across Alto 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
The strongest year on this record is 2015 (84.7% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (66.9%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.8% of all tests — 5.9 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, wipers and rigid brake pipes — stop lamp alone was recorded 17,238 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.2% versus 11.8%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 30.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 18.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Alto model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 68 | 66.2% | 33.8% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1998 | 52 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 154 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 109 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 254 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 219 | 65.3% | 34.7% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 3,628 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 7,982 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 9,254 | 67.0% | 33.0% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 5,614 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 34,001 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 28,248 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 28,197 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 28,551 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 70,838 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 75,661 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 10,714 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.8% | 38,917 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.9% | 21,046 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.7% | 20,363 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.3% | 19,074 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.3% | 16,079 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 10,038 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.0% | 6,005 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.9% | 2,668 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 17,238 |
| 2 | Wipers | 15,575 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 15,555 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 12,537 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 9,959 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 8,463 |
| 7 | Washers | 7,934 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 7,048 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 30.3% | 91,918 |
| 2 | Brakes | 28.7% | 87,276 |
| 3 | Tyres | 27.4% | 83,274 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.3% | 28,229 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 26,064 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.1% | 21,641 |
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 | 53,209 | 11.8% |
| 30-60k | 126,540 | 18.3% |
| 60-90k | 86,671 | 23.7% |
| 90-120k | 29,820 | 26.7% |
| 120-150k | 6,095 | 27.4% |
| 150k+ | 1,317 | 27.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64,843 | 18.5% |
| 2022 | 62,770 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 61,242 | 19.7% |
| 2024 | 58,949 | 20.8% |
| 2025 | 55,921 | 21.1% |
What to check before buying a Suzuki Alto
- Lighting & signalling (12.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.9% 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.
- Suspension (6.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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 Suzuki Alto?
80.3% of the 303,725 Suzuki Alto MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.8% fail rate, across model years 1982–2023.
What does the Suzuki Alto most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.8% of tests, then brakes (6.9%).
Which Alto years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 84.7% and 2003 the weakest at 66.9%, from 10,714 and 3,628 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Alto MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.2% for 150k+, a 15.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 303,725 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.