MOT fail rates
Hyundai Santa FE MOT fail rate by age
How often the Hyundai Santa FE fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 135,968 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 8 years, the most tested age
155 of 315 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 8 years.
What stands out
- At 3 years the Hyundai Santa FE fails 11.1% of MOTs (4,651 tests), 1.0 points below the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 20 years it fails 46.1% (1,760 tests), 3.4 points above the 42.8% average.
- It moves from below to above the all-car rate between 9 and 10 years.
- Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 8 years: Steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 2.8 per 100 MOTs.
MOT fail rate by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars | Difference | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 11.1% | 4,651 | 12.1% | −1.0 pts | 26,560 miles |
| 4 years | 12.7% | 4,639 | 13.4% | −0.7 pts | 33,741 miles |
| 5 years | 15.9% | 6,322 | 15.3% | +0.6 pts | 41,935 miles |
| 6 years | 16.5% | 10,066 | 17.8% | −1.4 pts | 49,399 miles |
| 7 years | 18.6% | 11,894 | 20.6% | −2.1 pts | 57,427 miles |
| 8 years | 21.3% | 12,510 | 23.8% | −2.5 pts | 66,302 miles |
| 9 years | 25.8% | 11,197 | 27.1% | −1.3 pts | 74,481 miles |
| 10 years | 33.7% | 10,122 | 30.3% | +3.4 pts | 84,732 miles |
| 11 years | 40.8% | 10,724 | 33.3% | +7.6 pts | 95,251 miles |
| 12 years | 44.3% | 11,427 | 36.0% | +8.3 pts | 103,190 miles |
| 13 years | 46.5% | 10,408 | 38.3% | +8.2 pts | 108,890 miles |
| 14 years | 46.1% | 8,055 | 40.3% | +5.8 pts | 114,653 miles |
| 15 years | 47.4% | 6,124 | 41.6% | +5.8 pts | 116,840 miles |
| 16 years | 46.8% | 4,653 | 42.6% | +4.2 pts | 116,226 miles |
| 17 years | 47.1% | 4,501 | 43.1% | +4.0 pts | 118,141 miles |
| 18 years | 48.5% | 4,018 | 43.3% | +5.3 pts | 118,616 miles |
| 19 years | 48.4% | 2,897 | 43.2% | +5.2 pts | 117,576 miles |
| 20 years | 46.1% | 1,760 | 42.8% | +3.4 pts | 116,316 miles |
Most common fail items at 8 years
Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.
Structural and mechanical
| Fail item | Per 100 MOTs |
|---|---|
| Steering track rod end: ball joint play Major | 2.8 |
| Suspension ball joint worn Major | 1.3 |
Out of 12,510 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Wear and upkeep
| Fail item | Per 100 MOTs |
|---|---|
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm Dangerous | 4.1 |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous | 3 |
| Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous | 2.4 |
| Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major | 2 |
| Wipers not clearing screen Major | 1.8 |
| Dipped headlight not working Major | 1.6 |
| Side repeaters: not working Major | 0.9 |
| Headlight aimed too high Major | 0.8 |
Out of 12,510 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Other models at 8 years
| Model | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai i10 | 21.2% | 91,913 | 23.8% |
| Hyundai i20 | 20.5% | 51,949 | 23.8% |
| Hyundai Tucson | 20.7% | 49,423 | 23.8% |
MOT fail rate by first-use year
Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.
First-use year data updated .
| First used | Age at test | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 18 years in 2024 | 48.7% | 1,151 | 43.3% |
| 2007 | 17 years in 2024 | 47.3% | 1,147 | 43.1% |
| 2010 | 15 years in 2025 | 47.9% | 2,827 | 41.6% |
| 2011 | 14 years in 2025 | 46.1% | 3,069 | 40.3% |
| 2012 | 13 years in 2025 | 47.1% | 2,868 | 38.3% |
| 2013 | 12 years in 2025 | 39.2% | 1,329 | 36.0% |
| 2014 | 11 years in 2025 | 33.3% | 2,479 | 33.3% |
| 2015 | 10 years in 2025 | 24.4% | 2,940 | 30.3% |
| 2016 | 9 years in 2025 | 22.1% | 4,279 | 27.1% |
| 2017 | 8 years in 2025 | 19.5% | 2,614 | 23.8% |
| 2018 | 7 years in 2025 | 17.9% | 1,932 | 20.6% |
| 2019 | 6 years in 2025 | 16.4% | 1,098 | 17.8% |
More on the Hyundai Santa FE
Looking at one Hyundai Santa FE?
These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.
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 22 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources