Suzuki Baleno MOT pass rate & common failures
38,422 MOT tests on the Suzuki Baleno (1995–2021) give it an 84.4% pass rate. That is 2.1 percentage points worse than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 13.5%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, visibility and tyres.
Best and worst Baleno years
Ranked across Baleno 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 2019 (91.2% pass rate); the weakest is 2016 (82.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (7.2%) and visibility (5.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, wipers and tread depth — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 3,265 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.1% versus 9.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 15.5% fail against 17.5% for hybrid, a 2.0-point gap across 38,422 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 21.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Baleno model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 62 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 147 | 70.8% | 29.3% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1998 | 118 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 166 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 163 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 166 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 11,351 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 13,164 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 8,322 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 4,724 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.2% | 2,752 |
| 2 | Visibility | 5.2% | 2,013 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.5% | 1,742 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 1,667 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.9% | 1,508 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 175 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 146 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 105 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 3,265 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,693 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,274 |
| 4 | Rigid brake pipes | 954 |
| 5 | Washers | 822 |
| 6 | Horn | 640 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 516 |
| 8 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 460 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 21.7% | 8,338 |
| 2 | Tyres | 21.5% | 8,268 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.5% | 6,731 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.2% | 2,399 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.4% | 1,307 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.7% | 659 |
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 | 14,341 | 9.7% |
| 30-60k | 17,067 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 5,506 | 22.9% |
| 90-120k | 1,181 | 26.5% |
| 120-150k | 237 | 28.3% |
| 150k+ | 85 | 27.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 37,106 | 15.5% |
| Hybrid | 1,316 | 17.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,578 | 11.1% |
| 2022 | 7,828 | 13.5% |
| 2023 | 7,983 | 15.8% |
| 2024 | 7,997 | 17.8% |
| 2025 | 8,036 | 18.8% |
What to check before buying a Suzuki Baleno
- Suspension (7.2% 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.
- Visibility (5.2% 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 (4.5% 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 Suzuki Baleno?
84.4% of the 38,422 Suzuki Baleno MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.6% fail rate, across model years 1995–2021.
What does the Suzuki Baleno most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 7.2% of tests, then visibility (5.2%).
Which Baleno years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 91.2% and 2016 the weakest at 82.5%, from 4,724 and 11,351 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Baleno MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.1% for 150k+, a 17.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or hybrid Baleno more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 15.5% of the time against 17.5% for the hybrid. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 38,422 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.