Hyundai I20: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Hyundai I20 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 1.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 123,339 individual Hyundai I20 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 78.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 22 in every 100 Hyundai I20s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Hyundai I20 tested had covered 59,746 miles and was built around 2014.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Hyundai I20 sits 1.6 points above the national average, ranked 1,510 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Hyundai I20 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Hyundai I20: £350 at UK salvage auction, from 15 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Hyundai I20

1. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 1% of tests (2.44x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests (2.28x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4% of tests (2.18x 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., 1.1% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this defect)
5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.8% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this defect)
6. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.2% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.3% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.6% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.6% of tests
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests

From 123,232 DVSA-tracked Hyundai I20 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.48% of these flagged Hyundai I20 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Hyundai I20

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 Hyundai I20 before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 12.6% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.5% of tests (1.74x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.1% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 22.4% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 1.7% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 21.9% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 12.1% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 10.3% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.7% of tests, also fails
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 4.5% of tests

From 123,232 DVSA-tracked Hyundai I20 tests, 2024.

Hyundai I20 pass rate by model year

From its 2009 to its 2020 model year, the Hyundai I20's first-time pass rate has risen 24.6 points, from 68.5% to 93.1%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Hyundai I20 year:

• 2009 Hyundai I20 - 68.5% first-time pass, 9,281 tests
• 2010 Hyundai I20 - 68.2% first-time pass, 9,642 tests
• 2011 Hyundai I20 - 67.8% first-time pass, 9,679 tests
• 2012 Hyundai I20 - 68.4% first-time pass, 9,665 tests
• 2013 Hyundai I20 - 71.2% first-time pass, 12,513 tests
• 2014 Hyundai I20 - 77.6% first-time pass, 13,084 tests
• 2015 Hyundai I20 - 83.7% first-time pass, 12,875 tests
• 2016 Hyundai I20 - 85.4% first-time pass, 13,873 tests
• 2017 Hyundai I20 - 87.6% first-time pass, 11,729 tests
• 2018 Hyundai I20 - 89.5% first-time pass, 8,741 tests
• 2019 Hyundai I20 - 91.4% first-time pass, 7,454 tests
• 2020 Hyundai I20 - 93.1% first-time pass, 3,922 tests

Hyundai I20 by fuel type

The Hyundai I20's two most-tested fuel types split by 8.6 points: petrol passes first time 79.1% of the time (116,921 tests) against 70.5% for diesel (5,761 tests).

• Petrol Hyundai I20 - 79.1% first-time pass, 116,921 tests
• Diesel Hyundai I20 - 70.5% first-time pass, 5,761 tests

Other Hyundai models

• Hyundai I10 - 78.3%
• Hyundai Tucson - 84%
• Hyundai I30 - 70.5%
• Hyundai Ix35 - 69.8%
• Hyundai Ioniq - 89.9%
• Hyundai Santa Fe - 71.3%
• Hyundai Ix20 - 76.5%
• Hyundai Kona - 90.6%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes Unclassified - 78.4%
• Lotus Elan - 78.4%
• Hyundai I10 - 78.3%
• Jeep Renegade - 78.3%
• Jaguar Xj - 78.3%
• Jaguar Xjr - 78.3%

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?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate