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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Hyundai i40 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Hyundai i40 cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 12,958 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=2,812)38.9%
All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%
Difference+0.7 pts
MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 202512,958

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 13 years old, Hyundai i40 cars first used in 2012 failed 38.9% of MOTs (2,812 tests), about the same as the 38.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 35.3% to 38.9%.
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Hyundai i40 at 13 years, is steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 6.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Hyundai i40 cars first used in 2012: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202210 years35.3%3,62130.3%+5.0 pts
202311 years36.2%3,40533.3%+3.0 pts
202412 years35.4%3,12036.0%−0.6 pts
202513 years38.9%2,81238.3%+0.7 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Hyundai i40 MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2011 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=3,382). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Steering track rod end: ball joint play6.61.9
Coil spring broken6.04.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear4.32.1
Dipped headlight not working Wear3.42.2
Anti-roll bar link worn3.21.3
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.63.0
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded2.30.9
Suspension arm bush worn2.12.0
Service brake performance: excessively binding2.01.1
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear1.81.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=3,382). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear21.118.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear10.67.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened10.510.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive9.97.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear8.65.2
Coil spring: corroded8.45.6
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material8.45.1
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement7.58.0
Anti-roll bar link ball joint: slight play5.92.3
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear5.79.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=3,382). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Hyundai i40 MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2011 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=3,382). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel93.8%39.0%3,17139.1%113,539 miles

Car tax rules for a 2012 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Hyundai i40

Other Hyundai models first used in 2012

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Hyundai i10 (2012)13 years in 202537.1%19,83238.3%
Hyundai i20 (2012)13 years in 202541.2%9,34438.3%
Hyundai i30 (2012)13 years in 202544.8%8,44938.3%
Hyundai ix35 (2012)13 years in 202541.4%7,87038.3%
Hyundai ix20 (2012)13 years in 202544.2%3,51438.3%
Hyundai Santa Fe (2012)13 years in 202547.1%2,86838.3%

More on the Hyundai i40

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2012 Hyundai i40 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.