Hyundai Ioniq MOT failure rate and common faults
48,896 Hyundai Ioniq cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 13.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 15.9% of the time, which makes the Hyundai Ioniq 13% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
13.8%
failed first time
48,896 MOT tests in 2025
-13%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 15.9%
77 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
57.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 69.8
What fails on a Hyundai Ioniq MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Hyundai Ioniq MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 26.2 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 21.9 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 14.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 10.1 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 9.7 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 9.3 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 8.3 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 7.9 |
| Headlamp levelling device: inoperative | Lights and electrics | 6.5 |
| Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 6.3 |
Hyundai Ioniq MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,731 | 15.0% | 11.4% | 32,900 |
| 2021 | 10,411 | 11.5% | 12.8% | 50,300 |
| 2020 | 8,056 | 12.2% | 14.1% | 58,700 |
| 2019 | 9,857 | 14.2% | 16.5% | 78,400 |
| 2018 | 8,711 | 15.4% | 19.1% | 95,400 |
| 2017 | 5,663 | 16.2% | 21.8% | 100,900 |
Advisories to look for in a Hyundai Ioniq's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Hyundai Ioniq, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge214.6
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing111.4
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened72.7
- Brake pads: wearing thin24.2
- Service brake performance: binding but not excessively15.6
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords14.1
Checking a used Hyundai Ioniq before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Hyundai Ioniq fails more often than average on lights and electrics. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Hyundai Ioniq cars tested: Hybrid 80%, Electric 20%. Average age at test 5.5 years, average recorded mileage 69,700.
Hyundai Ioniq MOT questions
What is the Hyundai Ioniq MOT failure rate?
13.8% of Hyundai Ioniq cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 48,896 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 15.9% of the time, so the Hyundai Ioniq was 13% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Hyundai Ioniq MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 65 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded 26.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Hyundai Ioniq year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2017 registrations did best: 16.2% failed against an average of 21.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Hyundai Ioniq will pass?
No. These are averages across every Hyundai Ioniq tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Hyundai models
- Hyundai i1027.5% failed
- Hyundai Tucson17.0% failed
- Hyundai i2027.4% failed
- Hyundai i3035.4% failed
- Hyundai Kona13.8% failed
- Hyundai ix3536.2% failed
Ranked close to the Hyundai Ioniq
- Skoda Yetirank 74
- Smart Fortworank 75
- Audi A4rank 76
- Land Rover Freelanderrank 78
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Hyundai Ioniq cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.