2005 Suzuki Swift MOT pass rate: 57.2% (4,007 tests)

2005-registered Suzuki Swifts passed 57.2% of 4,007 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 7.2 points worse than same-age cars (64.5%). This is one of the lower-scoring Swift years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

57.2%Pass rate, 2005 cars

92.8Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

4,007Tests analysed

95,622 miMedian mileage at test

57.2% / 61.8%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2005 Swift getting worse?

Pass rate of 2005-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	58.2% -6.0 vs same-age
2024	56.9% -7.3 vs same-age
2025	56.3% -9.1 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 2005 Swift

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	2,081	32.5%
2	Brakes	1,429	22.3%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,145	17.9%
4	Tyres	412	6.4%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	353	5.5%
6	Body, chassis, structure	336	5.2%

All Swift years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2005 (this page)	4,007	57.2%	-7.2 pts	95,622
2006	12,157	57.4%	-7.0 pts	95,776
2007	21,203	59.1%	-6.0 pts	92,072
2008	21,955	59.5%	-5.7 pts	91,428
2009	20,653	61.2%	-5.2 pts	84,993
2010	18,011	65.1%	-2.3 pts	81,760
2011	18,645	73.1%	+3.9 pts	79,880
2012	26,805	77.1%	+5.9 pts	75,559
2013	25,923	79.6%	+6.3 pts	67,832
2014	29,880	82.0%	+6.2 pts	60,258
2015	36,714	85.1%	+6.3 pts	54,686
2016	30,954	86.2%	+4.9 pts	48,555
2017	23,909	87.6%	+3.6 pts	41,263
2018	29,894	88.9%	+2.6 pts	36,014
2019	32,511	91.8%	+3.4 pts	28,643
2020	3,742	94.5%	+4.6 pts	21,712

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

Buying a 2005 Swift? 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 2005 Suzuki Swift reliable?

2005-registered examples passed 57.2% of their MOT tests (4,007 tests, 2023–2025), -7.2 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 21 years old with a median 95,622 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2005 Swift?

The median tested example shows 95,622 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.