18,671 tests in 2025
Hyundai I40 reliability and MOT pass rate
75.9% passed first time. The 24.1% fail rate is 1.5 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 98,797 miles.
Pass rate
75.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
98,797 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 6,925 | 16.2% |
| 10-13 years | 11,293 | 28.6% |
| 14+ years | 452 | 33% |
What the I40 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Brakes1,039 dangerous35.5%
- Suspension51 dangerous29.6%
- Tyres1,080 dangerous26.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous23.9%
- Steering72 dangerous20.8%
- Visibility1 dangerous10%
- Noise, emissions and leaks11 dangerous6.9%
- Body, chassis, structure17 dangerous5.9%
Is the I40 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.3 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 23,014 | 7 | 20.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 22,286 | 8 | 22.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 18,797 | 9 | 23.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 18,669 | 10 | 24.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical I40 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a I40 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick678 tests
- 2Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play673 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm411 tests
- 4Headlamp: not working on dipped beam387 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken345 tests
- 6Service brake performance: excessively binding279 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn260 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords241 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical I40 collects 2.59 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,719 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,125 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,791 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,276 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,266 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,080 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn951 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding778 tests
Questions
What is the Hyundai I40 MOT pass rate?
75.9% of the 18,671 Hyundai I40 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Hyundai I40 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 678 failed tests, followed by "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, brakes appears in 35.5% of failures, suspension appears in 29.6% of failures, tyres appears in 26.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 33%. The median Hyundai I40 tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 98,797 miles.
Is the Hyundai I40 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.3 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every I40 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Hyundai models
- I10 21%
- Tucson 14.1%
- Kona 10.7%
- Ioniq 10.7%
- Santa 26.4%
- Ix20 24.2%
- Kona Electric 9.3%
- Getz 37.1%
- Ioniq Electric 8%
- Ioniq 5 6.4%
Checking a particular I40?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.