17,001 tests in 2025
Suzuki Grand Vitara reliability and MOT pass rate
69.1% passed first time. The 30.9% fail rate is 8.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 91,212 miles.
Pass rate
69.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
91,212 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 7 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2,496 | 19.8% |
| 14+ years | 14,496 | 32.8% |
What the Grand Vitara 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.
- Suspension218 dangerous44.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment22 dangerous38.9%
- Body, chassis, structure117 dangerous32.7%
- Brakes550 dangerous30.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous19.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous14%
- Tyres645 dangerous11.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4 dangerous9.6%
Is the Grand Vitara getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 30.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 27,411 | 15 | 29.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 24,255 | 16 | 30% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 18,712 | 17 | 31.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 16,998 | 18 | 30.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Grand Vitara 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 Grand Vitara in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working789 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength672 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt661 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively455 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded410 tests
- 6Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect371 tests
- 7Stop lamp: not working365 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn364 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Grand Vitara collects 3.57 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 corroded2,949 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine2,288 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,239 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,751 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,609 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,514 tests
- 7Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,487 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,161 tests
Questions
What is the Suzuki Grand Vitara MOT pass rate?
69.1% of the 17,001 Suzuki Grand Vitara first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Suzuki Grand Vitara usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 789 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, suspension appears in 44.5% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.9% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 32.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 32.8%. The median Suzuki Grand Vitara tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 91,212 miles.
Is the Suzuki Grand Vitara getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 30.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Grand Vitara 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 11 safety recalls naming the Suzuki Grand Vitara: Suzuki Grand Vitara recalls.
Other Suzuki models
Checking a particular Grand Vitara?
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.