MOT fail rates by first-use year

2006 Suzuki SX4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Suzuki SX4 cars first used in 2006 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,401 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 17 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 17 (n=1,134)50.2%

All cars at 17 years (n=4,040,458)43.1%

Difference+7.1 pts

MOT tests of 2006 cars, 2022 to 20232,401

What stands out

In 2023, at 17 years old, Suzuki SX4 cars first used in 2006 failed 50.2% of MOTs (1,134 tests), 7.1 points above the 43.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 16 to 17 years old, the fail rate moved from 49.9% to 50.2%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Suzuki SX4 at 17 years, is suspension ball joint worn, at 8.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Suzuki SX4 cars first used in 2006: 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 year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	16 years	49.9%	1,267	42.6%	+7.3 pts
2023	17 years	50.2%	1,134	43.1%	+7.1 pts

Most common faults at 17 years

These figures cover all Suzuki SX4 MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2006 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,608). 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 item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Suspension ball joint worn	8.7	2.4
Side/position light not working Wear	8.1	5.8
Coil spring broken	8.0	3.5
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	7.1	2.2
Brake light not working Wear	5.5	4.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	4.6	3.0
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	4.6	1.9
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.4	2.8
Handbrake too weak	3.7	2.7
Suspension arm bush worn	3.3	2.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,608). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	22.5	10.5
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.8	17.9
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	13.0	8.7
Coil spring: corroded	12.1	7.5
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.5	9.6
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	9.5	5.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.6	11.3
Flexible brake hoses: has slight corrosion to ferrule	7.4	2.3
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	7.2	11.7
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.9	6.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,608). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 17 years

These figures cover all Suzuki SX4 MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2006 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,608). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	92.0%	48.6%	5,162	43.2%	94,426 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 17 years

These figures cover all Suzuki SX4 MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2006 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,608). At 17 years, Suzuki SX4 cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (52.1%, n=1,971) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (46.0%, n=1,683). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	46.0%	1,683	41.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	52.1%	1,971	46.2%

Car tax rules for a 2006 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

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2006 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 Suzuki SX4

2007 Suzuki SX4

Other Suzuki models first used in 2006

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Suzuki Swift (2006)	19 years in 2025	49.0%	3,363	43.2%
Suzuki Grand Vitara (2006)	19 years in 2025	44.0%	1,495	43.2%
Suzuki Jimny (2006)	19 years in 2025	40.5%	1,464	43.2%
Suzuki Ignis (2006)	17 years in 2023	40.9%	1,048	43.1%

More on the Suzuki SX4

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 2006 Suzuki SX4 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.