2015 Suzuki SX4 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Suzuki SX4 passed 87.1% of its 21,620 recorded MOT tests. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 16.4% of the time, so this is 3.5pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.7%) and lighting & signalling (4.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and stop lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 1,065 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.6% versus 6.1%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.9% fail against 16.9% for diesel, a 5.0-point gap across 21,620 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 1,235 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 1,067 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.0% | 865 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 774 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.0% | 442 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 153 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,065 |
| 2 | Wipers | 664 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 422 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 403 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 342 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 286 |
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 | 25.1% | 5,426 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.7% | 5,123 |
| 3 | Other defects | 9.4% | 2,041 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.9% | 1,282 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.4% | 743 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 515 |
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 | 2,361 | 6.1% |
| 30-60k | 9,629 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 6,962 | 16.1% |
| 90-120k | 2,108 | 20.5% |
| 120-150k | 425 | 22.4% |
| 150k+ | 134 | 27.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 17,112 | 11.9% |
| Diesel | 4,508 | 16.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,265 | 10.1% |
| 2022 | 4,313 | 11.9% |
| 2023 | 4,363 | 13.1% |
| 2024 | 4,329 | 14.0% |
| 2025 | 4,350 | 15.4% |
What to check before buying a 2015 SX4
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.7% 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 (4.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (4.0% 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.
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 2015 Suzuki SX4s pass their MOT?
87.1% of the 21,620 2015 Suzuki SX4 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Suzuki SX4?
Tyres, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.9%).
Does the 2015 SX4 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.1% in the 0-30k band to 27.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 21,620 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.