Suzuki Alto MOT pass rate: 74.0% (45,280 tests, 2025)

Name: Suzuki Alto MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Suzuki Alto passed 74.0% of its 45,280 MOT tests in 2025 — 3.5 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 12 years old with 59,374 miles on the clock.

74.0%Pass rate (2025)

45,280MOT tests analysed

59,374 miMedian mileage at test

12 yrsMedian age at test

How the Alto compares

Suzuki Alto

74.0%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Suzuki average (all models)

79.9%

What fails most on the Suzuki Alto

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	7,964	24.9%
2	Brakes	6,919	21.6%
3	Suspension	6,507	20.4%
4	Tyres	3,699	11.6%
5	Visibility	2,802	8.8%
6	Body, chassis, structure	2,259	7.1%

Pre-MOT checklist for Alto owners

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

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
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Alto pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2004, 2005, 2006. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2009, 2011. Full ranking and method: Suzuki Alto years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2004	2,610	56.3%	-8.0 pts	54,078	56.3% visual scale
2005	3,057	57.3%	-7.1 pts	54,851	57.3% visual scale
2006	1,922	56.8%	-7.6 pts	54,255	56.8% visual scale
2009	15,265	71.2%	+4.8 pts	67,464	71.2% visual scale
2010	12,933	71.4%	+4.0 pts	67,242	71.4% visual scale
2011	13,241	74.3%	+5.1 pts	64,110	74.3% visual scale
2012	13,598	74.7%	+3.5 pts	59,122	74.7% visual scale
2013	34,575	77.1%	+3.8 pts	54,119	77.1% visual scale
2014	37,703	79.3%	+3.4 pts	47,737	79.3% visual scale
2015	5,378	80.0%	+1.3 pts	44,306	80.0% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Ball joint has slight play — 259 cars · 14.7% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 320 cars · 9.7% failed the same item the next year
Wheel bearings slightly noisy — 569 cars · 9.1% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 5,487 cars · 7.9% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 608 cars · 5.6% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Alto 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 Suzuki models

Swift77.2% pass rate · 115,693 tests Vitara88.0% pass rate · 56,362 tests SX474.6% pass rate · 37,343 tests Celerio88.5% pass rate · 27,141 tests Jimny73.6% pass rate · 22,520 tests Ignis79.7% pass rate · 20,760 tests Grand Vitara69.2% pass rate · 18,173 tests Splash67.8% pass rate · 16,898 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Suzuki Alto?

In 2025, 74.0% of 45,280 first MOT tests on the Suzuki Alto were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Alto fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (24.9% of its recorded defects), followed by brakes.

Is the Suzuki Alto reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 74.0% it performs below the national average at a median age of 12 years and 59,374 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

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.