2025 MOT results
Suzuki Alto common problems
The most common reason a Suzuki Alto fails its MOT is a brake light out, on 19.2% of its 16,062 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: corroded brake pipes at 8.7% of failures against 1.7% expected; a horn not working at 5.0% of failures against 1.1% expected; a wheel bearings rough when rotated at 4.1% of failures against 1.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 45,475 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 35.3% 16,062 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 63.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Suzuki Alto MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Suzuki Alto 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 |
|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.2% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.0% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 12.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 8.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.2% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.0% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 4.5% |
| Wheel bearings: rough when rotated Suspension | 4.1% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Brake light out
19.2% of failures 7.5% expected 2.6 times as 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.
-
Sidelight out
15.0% of failures 10.2% expected 1.5 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
12.8% of failures 5.2% expected 2.5 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.
-
Corroded brake pipes
8.7% of failures 1.7% expected 5.1 times as often
Corroded or damaged brake pipework. It is a safety item, and on older cars the rear pipes go first.
Look along the pipes under the sills with a torch; flaking rust rather than surface staining is the problem.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.3% of failures 7.7% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Worn suspension bushes
6.3% of failures 5.3% expected somewhat more often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Suzuki Alto, on 50.4% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 41.2%.
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 | 50.4% |
| Suspension | 28.4% |
| Brakes | 24.2% |
| Visibility | 21.6% |
| Tyres | 18.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.4% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
63.6% of Suzuki Alto tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Suzuki Altos, 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 |
|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 19.4% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 19.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 16.2% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 14.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 12.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 4.5% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.4% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 3.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.9% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Suzuki Alto problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Suzuki Alto?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Stop lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 19.2% of failed Suzuki Alto tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 50.4% of failed tests.
How often does a Suzuki Alto fail its MOT?
35.3% of Suzuki Alto tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 45,475 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 48 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Suzuki Alto than on other cars?
Yes. “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 8.7% of its failures against 1.7% for cars of the same age, and “Horn: not working” appears on 5.0% of its failures against 1.1% 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 Suzuki Alto 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 | 45,475 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.