MOT data by first-use year
2018 Suzuki Baleno: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 5,842 MOT tests · Updated
27.4% of 2018 Suzuki Baleno cars failed their MOT at 7 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2017 and 2019 cars (5,842 MOT tests) [1].
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- +1.7 to +8.4 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 4 to 7 years, 5,842 MOT tests
- Tyre tread below 1.6 mm: fails 1.4–1.9× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age at 7 years, 5,623 MOT tests of Suzuki Baleno cars first used 2016–2018
- 60,000 to 90,000 miles: 34.7% of Suzuki Baleno cars first used 2016–2018 failed at 7 years, against 20.1% at under 30,000 miles, 2,410 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2018 Suzuki Baleno cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 7 years (2025)
- 27.4%
- vs 19.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 years in 2025
- 1,451 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- +6.2 pts
- over ages 4–7: +1.7 to +8.5 pts
- 5,842 MOT tests
- Against the 2017 and 2019 cars
- +1.9 pts
- 95% range −0.8 to +4.6 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 5,842 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2018 cars
- 5,842
- tested 2022–2025, 4 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 5,842 MOT tests
About the same as the 2017 and 2019 cars: +1.9 points at the same ages (4–7), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −0.8 to +4.6, from 5,842 MOT tests of 2018 cars and 9,961 of the 2017 and 2019 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every Suzuki Baleno year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2018 Suzuki Baleno fail rate at each MOT
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 4 to 7 years old, the fail rate went from 15.4% to 27.4%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from +1.7 to +8.4 points. The widest gap was at 7 years (+8.4 points, 1,451 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 years | 15.4% | 13.6%–17.3% | 1,464 | 13.7% | +1.7 pts |
| 2023 | 5 years | 22.4% | 20.3%–24.6% | 1,462 | 15.7% | +6.7 pts |
| 2024 | 6 years | 25.5% | 23.3%–27.8% | 1,465 | 17.4% | +8.1 pts |
| 2025 | 7 years | 27.4% | 25.2%–29.8% | 1,451 | 19.0% | +8.4 pts |
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2018 against the 2017 and 2019 cars, age by age
| Age | 2018 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years | 15.4% 1,464 MOT tests, tested 2022 | 2019: 13.0% (1,086, tested 2023) |
| 5 years | 22.4% 1,462 MOT tests, tested 2023 | 2017: 22.7% (2,253, tested 2022) 2019: 16.2% (1,058, tested 2024) |
| 6 years | 25.5% 1,465 MOT tests, tested 2024 | 2017: 24.7% (2,254, tested 2023) 2019: 18.2% (1,070, tested 2025) |
| 7 years | 27.4% 1,451 MOT tests, tested 2025 | 2017: 28.4% (2,240, tested 2024) |
Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.
What fails on a Suzuki Baleno at 7 years
All Suzuki Baleno MOTs at 7 years, cars first used 2016–2018 (5,623 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (9.6 per 100 MOT tests), tyre tread below 1.6 mm (3.5 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and wipers not clearing screen (2.4 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item).
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm: fails 1.4–1.9× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age, across at least 3 ages.
Mileage and the fail rate at 7 years
Suzuki Baleno cars first used 2016–2018 at 60,000 to 90,000 miles failed 34.7% of MOTs at 7 years (1,115 MOT tests), against 20.1% at under 30,000 miles (1,295 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 24.2% and 12.7%.
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2018 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2018 was issued a 67 (January–February), 18 (March–August) or 68 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 18 plates
A 2018 car pays the standard rate after its first year. If its list price was over £40,000 it pays the expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6 (to 2024), which has ended. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2018 petrol car
For the London ULEZ, a 2018 petrol usually meets Euro 4. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [3] ULEZ checker
Buying a Suzuki Baleno? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Questions people ask
What is the MOT fail rate of a 2018 Suzuki Baleno?
27.4% at 7 years (tested 2025), from 1,451 MOT tests, against 19.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 years in 2025.
Does the 2018 Suzuki Baleno fail more MOTs than the 2017 and 2019?
1.9 percentage points apart at the same ages (4–7), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 5,842 MOT tests (95% range −0.8 to +4.6), so about the same.
At what ages were 2018 Suzuki Baleno cars MOT tested in the data?
4 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 4–7 years, tested 2022–2025, 5,842 MOT tests in all.
What fails most on a Suzuki Baleno at 7 years?
9.6 in 100 MOT tests failed on suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, the most common fail item. From 5,623 MOT tests of Suzuki Baleno cars first used 2016–2018, not only 2018.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 5,842 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
Cars tested at 7 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 7 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare