Suzuki Alto MOT failure rate and common faults
44,447 Suzuki Alto cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 35.0% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 35.5% of the time, which makes the Suzuki Alto about as likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
35.0%
failed first time
44,447 MOT tests in 2025
-1%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 35.5%
121 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
107.5
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 124.6
What fails on a Suzuki Alto 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 Suzuki Alto MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 74.2 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 59.1 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 57.4 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 54.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 36.7 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 30.0 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 23.3 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 22.0 |
| Horn: not working | Lights and electrics | 17.8 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 17.2 |
Suzuki Alto 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,788 | 31.3% | 28.1% | 52,700 |
| 2014 | 12,493 | 31.7% | 31.4% | 55,200 |
| 2013 | 11,375 | 33.2% | 34.3% | 61,200 |
| 2012 | 4,413 | 35.3% | 36.6% | 65,600 |
| 2011 | 4,240 | 36.9% | 38.8% | 69,500 |
| 2010 | 4,107 | 39.8% | 40.7% | 72,100 |
| 2009 | 4,722 | 38.9% | 41.8% | 71,700 |
| 2006 | 509 | 52.1% | 43.0% | 57,500 |
| 2005 | 788 | 51.8% | 42.4% | 57,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Suzuki Alto'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 Suzuki Alto, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material327.1
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge258.8
- Coil spring: corroded250.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement239.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing175.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened86.1
Checking a used Suzuki Alto before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Suzuki Alto fails more often than average on lights and electrics and windscreen, wipers and mirrors. 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.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
Look for chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight, and test the wipers and washers. Windscreen damage in the swept area is an MOT failure.
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.
Suzuki Alto MOT questions
What is the Suzuki Alto MOT failure rate?
35.0% of Suzuki Alto cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 44,447 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 35.5% of the time, so the Suzuki Alto was about as likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Suzuki Alto MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 266 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Stop lamp: not working", recorded 74.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Suzuki Alto year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2009 registrations did best: 38.9% failed against an average of 41.8% 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 Suzuki Alto will pass?
No. These are averages across every Suzuki Alto 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 Suzuki models
- Suzuki Swift27.7% failed
- Suzuki Vitara15.2% failed
- Suzuki SX428.2% failed
- Suzuki Ignis17.0% failed
- Suzuki Celerio17.1% failed
Ranked close to the Suzuki Alto
- MG HSrank 119
- Skoda Fabiarank 120
- Hyundai i20rank 122
- Citroen C3 Aircrossrank 123
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 Suzuki Alto 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.