2004 Suzuki Alto MOT pass rate: 56.3% (2,610 tests)

2004-registered Suzuki Altos passed 56.3% of 2,610 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 8.0 points worse than same-age cars (64.3%). This is one of the lower-scoring Alto years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

56.3%Pass rate, 2004 cars

92.0Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,610Tests analysed

54,078 miMedian mileage at test

Is the 2004 Alto getting worse?

Pass rate of 2004-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	55.6% -8.3 vs same-age
2024	55.6% -8.4 vs same-age
2025	58.5% -6.8 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2004 Alto

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	990	23.5%
2	Suspension	757	18.0%
3	Body, chassis, structure	701	16.6%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	622	14.8%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	367	8.7%
6	Tyres	273	6.5%

All Alto years compared

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

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Suzuki Alto years to avoid.

Buying a 2004 Alto? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2004 Suzuki Alto reliable?

2004-registered examples passed 56.3% of their MOT tests (2,610 tests, 2023–2025), -8.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 22 years old with a median 54,078 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2004 Alto?

The median tested example shows 54,078 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.