Hyundai Santa Fe: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Hyundai Santa Fe fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 5.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 32,782 individual Hyundai Santa Fe tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate71.3%
UK national average76.7%
Difference-5.4 points
Tests analysed32,782
Average mileage at test88,707 miles
Average year of manufacture2013
Reliability rank1,729 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 71.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 29 in every 100 Hyundai Santa Fes 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 Hyundai Santa Fe tested had covered 88,707 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Hyundai Santa Fe sits 5.4 points below the national average, ranked 1,729 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 Hyundai Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe: £425 at UK salvage auction, from 8 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Hyundai Santa Fe

  1. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2% of tests (3.05x the national rate for this defect)
  2. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.2% of tests (2.74x the national rate for this defect)
  3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.3% of tests (2.5x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.7% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this defect)
  5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9.6% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this defect)
  6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4% of tests (1.84x the national rate for this defect)
  7. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.4% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
  8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.8% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
  9. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.1% of tests (1.62x the national rate for this defect)
  10. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)

From 32,745 DVSA-tracked Hyundai Santa Fe tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.45% of these flagged Hyundai Santa Fe defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Hyundai Santa Fe

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 Santa Fe before it actually fails on it.

  1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.2% of tests (2.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  2. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 11.7% of tests (2.26x the national rate for this advisory)
  3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 9.5% of tests (2x the national rate for this advisory)
  4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests (1.9x the national rate for this advisory)
  5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 11.2% of tests (1.82x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 14.3% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.1% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this advisory)
  8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 18.6% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 35.2% of tests (1.32x 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, 7% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this advisory)

From 32,745 DVSA-tracked Hyundai Santa Fe tests, 2024.

Hyundai Santa Fe pass rate by model year

From its 2003 to its 2021 model year, the Hyundai Santa Fe's first-time pass rate has risen 21.8 points, from 63.9% to 85.7%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Hyundai Santa Fe year:

Hyundai Santa Fe by fuel type

The Hyundai Santa Fe's two most-tested fuel types split by 9.4 points: diesel passes first time 72.1% of the time (31,572 tests) against 62.7% for petrol (978 tests).

Other Hyundai models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Hyundai Santa Fe MOT pass rate badge: 71.3%

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Hyundai Santa Fe most common MOT failure: A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (2% of tests)

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate