Daewoo Matiz: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Daewoo Matiz fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 21.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 929 individual Daewoo Matiz tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 54.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 45 in every 100 Daewoo Matiz presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Daewoo Matiz tested had covered 54,446 miles and was built around 2003.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Daewoo Matiz sits 21.9 points below the national average, ranked 1,998 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Daewoo Matiz rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Daewoo Matiz at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Daewoo Matiz

1. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 7.1% of tests (26.66x the national rate for this defect)
2. Headlamp reflector or lens seriously defective or missing, 4.9% of tests (22.51x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 19.4% of tests (20.57x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 10.1% of tests (19.41x the national rate for this defect)
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.1% of tests (12.27x the national rate for this defect)
6. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.9% of tests (10.98x the national rate for this defect)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 6.6% of tests (6.5x the national rate for this defect)
8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 7.3% of tests (5.74x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 12.2% of tests (5.19x the national rate for this defect)
10. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.6% of tests (4.78x the national rate for this defect)

From 927 DVSA-tracked Daewoo Matiz tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.19% of these flagged Daewoo Matiz defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Daewoo Matiz

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Daewoo Matiz before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 13.7% of tests (21.11x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 8.2% of tests (7.41x the national rate for this advisory)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 11% of tests (7.25x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 6.3% of tests (5.03x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 28.6% of tests (4.62x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 12.3% of tests (4.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 7.9% of tests (3.94x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 9.6% of tests (3.62x the national rate for this advisory)
9. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 17.3% of tests (3.34x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 11.4% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this advisory)

From 927 DVSA-tracked Daewoo Matiz tests, 2024.

Models with a similar pass rate

• Fiat Multipla - 55.4%
• Citroen C15 - 55.2%
• Peugeot 807 - 54.8%
• Citroen C8 - 54.7%
• Chevrolet Kalos - 54.5%
• Dodge Caliber - 54.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate