Hyundai i20 — Common MOT Faults
Model-level fault breakdown for the Hyundai i20 (2008–present): top failure categories, dangerous defect and retest rates, mileage benchmarks, and an AI-calculated reliability score.
Hyundai i20 fault snapshot: first-time MOT pass rate 83.2% (failure rate 16.8%), ranks above the UK average of 64%. Dangerous defect rate 1.4%, retest rate 11.5%. Composite reliability score 80/100 (excellent). Top failure category: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 14.5% of tests.
Hyundai i20 · reliability score
80/100
MOT Checkup reliability score: Excellent · combines pass rate, dangerous defect rate and retest rate.
83.2%
vs UK 64%
1.4%
11.5%
Top MOT failure categories — Hyundai i20
Categories most likely to trigger an MOT failure on the Hyundai i20. The first three account for the majority of fails.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Suspension
Brakes
Tyres
Exhaust, fuel and emissions
Where on the car faults cluster
Front
31%
Rear
27%
Offside
20%
Mileage benchmarks — Hyundai i20
From ages 3 to 5, average mileage on a Hyundai i20 rises from around 18,000 miles to 30,000 miles — about 6,000 miles a year, which is in line with the UK average use pattern. A specific car well below or above these averages warrants extra scrutiny — very low mileage on an older car can mean infrequent maintenance just as easily as low use.
Age 3
18,000 mi
Age 5
30,000 mi
Age 10
58,000 mi
Run a free MOT check on this Hyundai i20
Enter the registration to see the actual MOT history for the car you’re looking at — pass/fail, advisories, dangerous defects, mileage at every test. Free and instant.
Free MOT history check at /free-mot-check.
Pre-purchase checklist for a Hyundai i20
- Pull the MOT history first. A pattern of repeat advisories in the same category (e.g. suspension knock noted on three tests in a row) usually means a deferred repair waiting for you.
- Sanity-check the mileage. Compare what’s on the odometer with the readings logged at each MOT. Any backward step or implausibly large jump is a red flag.
- Inspect the top failure points yourself. For this model the cluster is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension — both are easy to assess in a short test drive.
- Ask for the last service record. A Hyundai with consistent dealer or independent service stamps will normally outperform the model-average pass rate of 83.2%.
Compare and explore
Hyundai i20 MOT check
Free registration lookup for this model.
Hyundai reliability
Brand-wide reliability profile and model ranking.
Hyundai i20 repair costs
Indicative repair costs for the common faults above.
Mazda 3 — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (83.2%).
Audi Q5 — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (83%).
Volkswagen Tiguan — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (83.5%).
Hyundai i20 — FAQ
Is the Hyundai i20 reliable for MOT?
What are the most common MOT failures on a Hyundai i20?
What's the dangerous defect rate on a Hyundai i20?
How do I check a specific Hyundai i20's MOT history?
Check the MOT history of a Hyundai i20
Free, instant lookup. Every test result, advisory and mileage reading since 2005.
Source: MOT Checkup reliability dataset. Reliability score is a composite metric blending first-time pass rate, dangerous defect rate and retest rate — see /methodology for the formula. Individual cars vary considerably; the registration-level MOT history is the canonical record.