42,068 tests in 2025
Suzuki Alto reliability and MOT pass rate
74% passed first time. The 26% fail rate is 3.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 59,639 miles.
Pass rate
74%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26% of these did.
Fixed on the day
9.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
59,639 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4 | — |
| 6-9 years | 4 | — |
| 10-13 years | 27,770 | 23.7% |
| 14+ years | 14,290 | 30.5% |
What the Alto 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment78 dangerous42.1%
- Suspension360 dangerous38.3%
- Brakes1,025 dangerous32.2%
- Tyres2,821 dangerous23.4%
- Visibility6 dangerous19.1%
- Body, chassis, structure62 dangerous15.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous9%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3.9%
Is the Alto getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.3 points to 26% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 51,933 | 9 | 22.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 50,242 | 10 | 23.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 41,027 | 11 | 25.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 42,059 | 12 | 26% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Alto 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 Alto in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Stop lamp: not working1,618 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working1,350 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,306 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,237 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,173 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn964 tests
- 7Horn: not working669 tests
- 8Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt653 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Alto collects 3.27 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.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded8,168 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm7,116 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6,953 tests
- 4Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened6,138 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,115 tests
- 6Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,976 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,891 tests
- 8Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened1,857 tests
Questions
What is the Suzuki Alto MOT pass rate?
74% of the 42,068 Suzuki Alto first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 9.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Suzuki Alto usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Stop lamp: not working", recorded on 1,618 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 42.1% of failures, suspension appears in 38.3% of failures, brakes appears in 32.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 30.5%. The median Suzuki Alto tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 59,639 miles.
Is the Suzuki Alto getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.3 points to 26% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 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 Alto trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 6 safety recalls naming the Suzuki Alto: Suzuki Alto recalls.
Other Suzuki models
Checking a particular Alto?
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.