2025 MOT results
Hyundai i20 common problems
The most common reason a Hyundai i20 fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 14.2% of its 36,435 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 7.9% of failures against 1.8% expected; a sidelight out at 14.2% of failures against 8.1% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 10.7% of failures against 6.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 132,910 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 27.4% 36,435 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.2% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 49.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Hyundai i20 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Hyundai i20 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 10.7% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.4% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 7.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 7.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.4% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 4.6% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 4.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
14.2% of failures 8.1% expected 1.8 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
10.7% of failures 6.2% expected 1.7 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Brake light out
8.4% of failures 6.2% expected somewhat more often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
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Split joint boot
7.9% of failures 1.8% expected 4.4 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Washers that do not work
7.9% of failures 4.8% expected 1.6 times as often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
-
Worn brake pads
6.5% of failures 6.6% expected about as expected
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Hyundai i20, on 41.3% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is visibility, on 23.2% against 14.6% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 41.3% |
| Brakes | 27.6% |
| Suspension | 23.8% |
| Visibility | 23.2% |
| Tyres | 18.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
49.4% of Hyundai i20 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Hyundai i20s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.1% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 7.4% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 2.7% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 2.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 1.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Hyundai i20 gets older
A 2022 Hyundai i20 failed 15.2% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2009 one failed 42.9%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Hyundai i20 15.2% failed, from 7,581 tests
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 50.8%
- Cut tyre 9.4%
- Washers that do not work 6.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 5.2%
- Bulge in a tyre 4.4%
- Headlamp aim set too low 4.3%
2009 Hyundai i20 42.9% failed, from 8,358 tests
- Sidelight out 22.8%
- Brake light out 16.6%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 7.6%
- Washers that do not work 7.1%
- Number plate lamp out 6.9%
- Airbag light on 6.9%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Hyundai i20 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Hyundai i20?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 14.2% of failed Hyundai i20 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 41.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Hyundai i20 fail its MOT?
27.4% of Hyundai i20 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 132,910 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 51 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Hyundai i20 than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 7.9% of its failures against 1.8% for cars of the same age, and “Position lamp: not working” appears on 14.2% of its failures against 8.1% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Hyundai i20 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 132,910 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.