Hyundai Santa Fe MOT pass rate: 71.9% (30,227 tests, 2025)

The Hyundai Santa Fe passed 71.9% of its 30,227 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.6 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 89,899 miles on the clock.
71.9%Pass rate (2025)
30,227MOT tests analysed
89,899 miMedian mileage at test
11 yrsMedian age at test

How the Santa Fe compares

Hyundai Santa Fe

71.9%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Hyundai average (all models)

79.4%

What fails most on the Hyundai Santa Fe

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Santa Fe:

#SystemDefects recordedShare
1Suspension5,33423.6%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5,22123.1%
3Brakes4,41519.5%
4Tyres2,67411.8%
5Body, chassis, structure1,7517.7%
6Steering1,5276.8%

Pre-MOT checklist for Santa Fe owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

  • Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
  • Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
  • Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
  • Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
  • Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

Santa Fe pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2011, 2012, 2013. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2015, 2016. Full ranking and method: Hyundai Santa Fe years to avoid.

Registration yearTestsPass rateVs same-ageMedian mileage
2004 1,624 61.0% -3.3 pts 117,434
2005 2,189 59.1% -5.3 pts 119,688
2006 3,505 58.9% -5.5 pts 114,891
2007 3,420 61.7% -3.4 pts 120,386
2008 2,209 62.2% -2.9 pts 119,628
2009 1,912 64.4% -2.0 pts 109,666
2010 9,157 60.0% -7.4 pts 114,960
2011 9,752 60.7% -8.5 pts 110,676
2012 8,925 62.5% -8.7 pts 100,646
2013 4,063 65.6% -7.7 pts 93,453
2014 7,390 71.6% -4.3 pts 84,480
2015 8,753 80.6% +1.8 pts 73,021
2016 12,663 83.1% +1.8 pts 64,347
2017 7,824 84.9% +0.9 pts 59,205
2018 5,712 86.8% +0.5 pts 48,829
2019 3,349 88.1% -0.3 pts 40,434
2020 1,581 89.7% -0.2 pts 33,480

Check a specific Santa Fe before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Hyundai models

I1078.0% pass rate · 227,644 tests I2077.9% pass rate · 118,396 tests Tucson83.2% pass rate · 111,576 tests I3070.8% pass rate · 98,541 tests IX3568.9% pass rate · 49,691 tests Ioniq90.0% pass rate · 46,510 tests Kona90.0% pass rate · 30,474 tests IX2075.9% pass rate · 28,624 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Hyundai Santa Fe?

In 2025, 71.9% of 30,227 first MOT tests on the Hyundai Santa Fe were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Santa Fe fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (23.6% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 71.9% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 89,899 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.