Suzuki Jimny MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 34 model years and 147,380 tests, the Suzuki Jimny passes its MOT 78.3% of the time. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 23.6% of the time, so this is 1.9pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, brakes and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Jimny years
Ranked across Jimny 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 2020 (96.1% pass rate); the weakest is 1999 (71.7%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (9.1%) and brakes (8.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are chassis condition, integral vehicle structure condition and prescribed areas — chassis condition alone was recorded 9,134 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.4% once past 150k — 3.8× the risk.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Jimny model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 454 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 2,178 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 4,670 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 6,121 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 9,053 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 11,853 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 13,624 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 11,689 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 10,634 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2007 | 10,787 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2008 | 7,401 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 5,184 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 4,207 | 78.5% | 21.5% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 4,592 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 5,444 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 5,269 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 5,108 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 5,763 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 6,004 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 5,333 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 2,733 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 5,003 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 2,803 | 96.1% | 3.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 844 | 98.1% | 1.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 460 | 98.0% | 2.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 53 | 96.2% | 3.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 64 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.1% | 13,425 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.7% | 12,818 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 8.1% | 11,945 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.4% | 10,899 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 5.2% | 7,695 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.5% | 6,564 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.8% | 4,143 |
| 8 | Tyres | 1.6% | 2,417 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chassis condition | 9,134 |
| 2 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 7,802 |
| 3 | Prescribed areas | 7,063 |
| 4 | Catalyst emissions | 6,394 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 5,855 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 5,780 |
| 7 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 5,675 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 5,428 |
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 | 27.1% | 39,958 |
| 2 | Suspension | 20.2% | 29,738 |
| 3 | Tyres | 14.9% | 22,040 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.7% | 21,657 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.3% | 16,694 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 8.1% | 11,862 |
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 | 25,177 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 38,989 | 18.1% |
| 60-90k | 44,592 | 25.7% |
| 90-120k | 27,873 | 29.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,668 | 30.0% |
| 150k+ | 1,918 | 31.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 147,272 | 21.7% |
| Diesel | 105 | 23.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30,751 | 22.4% |
| 2022 | 30,501 | 21.8% |
| 2023 | 29,712 | 21.1% |
| 2024 | 28,615 | 21.8% |
| 2025 | 27,801 | 21.5% |
What to check before buying a Suzuki Jimny
- Suspension (9.1% 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.
- Brakes (8.7% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (8.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Suzuki Jimny?
78.3% of the 147,380 Suzuki Jimny MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.7% fail rate, across model years 1992–2025.
What does the Suzuki Jimny most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 9.1% of tests, then brakes (8.7%).
Which Jimny years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 96.1% and 1999 the weakest at 71.7%, from 2,803 and 2,178 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Jimny MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.4% for 150k+, a 23.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 147,380 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.