2025 MOT results
Hyundai Santa Fe common problems
The most common reason a Hyundai Santa Fe fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 12.8% of its 10,399 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: an indicator repeater out at 5.6% of failures against 1.6% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 9.0% of failures against 4.1% expected; a split joint boot at 9.3% of failures against 4.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 32,846 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 31.7% 10,399 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 57.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Hyundai Santa Fe MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Hyundai Santa Fe 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 | 12.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 11.5% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.3% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 9.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 8.8% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.9% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 6.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.7% |
| Side repeaters: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
12.8% of failures 9.2% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
11.5% of failures 5.7% expected 2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Split joint boot
9.3% of failures 4.7% expected 2 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.0% of failures 4.1% expected 2.2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Worn brake pads
8.8% of failures 6.2% expected somewhat more often
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.
-
Brake light out
8.6% of failures 6.8% 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Hyundai Santa Fe, on 42.3% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 12.6% against 7.2% 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 | 42.3% |
| Suspension | 35.3% |
| Brakes | 26.4% |
| Tyres | 20.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.0% |
| Steering | 12.6% |
| Visibility | 11.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
57.5% of Hyundai Santa Fe tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Hyundai Santa Fes, 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 | 21.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 11.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 6.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 6.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.3% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.5% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.4% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.8% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 3.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Hyundai Santa Fe gets older
A 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe failed 19.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2010 one failed 48.4%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 19.5% failed, from 2,606 tests
- Worn brake pads 16.9%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 10.8%
- Headlamp out 10.2%
- Engine management light on 10.0%
- Cut tyre 9.6%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 7.9%
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 48.4% failed, from 2,799 tests
- Sidelight out 20.7%
- Split joint boot 16.7%
- Worn steering or suspension joint 15.5%
- Brake light out 12.2%
- Weak handbrake 10.2%
- Broken coil spring 8.5%
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 Santa Fe problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Hyundai Santa Fe?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 12.8% of failed Hyundai Santa Fe tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 42.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Hyundai Santa Fe fail its MOT?
31.7% of Hyundai Santa Fe tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 32,846 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 46 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Hyundai Santa Fe than on other cars?
Yes. “Side repeaters: not working” appears on 5.6% of its failures against 1.6% for cars of the same age, and “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 9.0% of its failures against 4.1% 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 Santa Fe 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 | 32,846 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.