MOT performance
Hyundai i20 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 11,857 MOT tests on diesel Hyundai i20s in 2023–2024 (on average 9.9 years old at test, median 81,371 miles), 63.3% passed first time, against 73.2% of 237,167 petrol Hyundai i20 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Hyundai i20s failed 19% more often than comparable cars — 1.19× against 1.02× for the Hyundai i20 as a whole.
11,857 MOT tests on 6,069 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 63.3% | ±0.9 pts (95%), n = 11,857 |
| All Hyundai i20s | 73.0% | n = 254,226 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.19× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Hyundai i20 overall 1.02× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 9.7% | n = 11,857 |
| Average age at test | 9.9 years | n = 11,857 |
| Registration years covered | 2008–2019 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Hyundai i20 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.3 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 237,167 | 8.6 yrs | 73.2% | +1% | 6.2% |
| Diesel | 11,857 | 9.9 yrs | 63.3% | +19% | 9.7% |
| Hybrid | 5,202 | 2.2 yrs | 86.0% | +55% | 2.7% |
Where diesel Hyundai i20s differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Hyundai i20s failed 150% more often than the Hyundai i20 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.81× vs 0.73×).
- Body, chassis and structure: diesel Hyundai i20s failed 25% less often than the Hyundai i20 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.50× vs 0.67×).
- Tyres: diesel Hyundai i20s failed 24% more often than the Hyundai i20 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.05× vs 0.85×).
- Brakes: diesel Hyundai i20s failed 22% more often than the Hyundai i20 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.68× vs 1.38×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Hyundai i20s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 15.4% (+34%) | 11.2% (+16%) |
| Brakes | 12.2% (+68%) | 7.6% (+38%) |
| Suspension | 9.4% (-9%) | 5.8% (-25%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 7.8% (+78%) | 6.6% (+48%) |
| Tyres | 7.4% (+5%) | 5.1% (-15%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% (+81%) | 1.9% (-27%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 2.2% (+139%) | 1.4% (+129%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 1.7% (-50%) | 1.6% (-33%) |
| Steering | 1.6% (-30%) | 0.9% (-40%) |
Most common diesel Hyundai i20 failure items
1 of these 5 items is not among the Hyundai i20's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 5.83% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Driver's view of the road | 3.28% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.01% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Driver's view of the road | 2.96% |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 2.91% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | — | 89.0% (24,449) |
| 5-6 | 79.3% (796) | 84.8% (40,283) |
| 7-8 | 74.6% (3,487) | 80.1% (47,567) |
| 9-10 | 61.1% (2,741) | 67.2% (47,451) |
| 11-12 | 53.8% (2,321) | 60.8% (36,831) |
| 13-15 | 53.2% (2,461) | 59.0% (35,977) |
Hyundai i20 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2009 Hyundai i20 · 58.5%
- 2010 Hyundai i20 · 60.0%
- 2011 Hyundai i20 · 60.3%
- 2012 Hyundai i20 · 60.1%
- 2013 Hyundai i20 · 62.8%
- 2014 Hyundai i20 · 70.5%
- 2015 Hyundai i20 · 79.8%
- 2016 Hyundai i20 · 81.8%
- 2017 Hyundai i20 · 83.8%
- 2018 Hyundai i20 · 86.5%
- 2019 Hyundai i20 · 88.8%
- 2020 Hyundai i20 · 90.2%
- 2021 Hyundai i20 · 85.7%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Hyundai i20
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.