Common problems
Isuzu TF common problems
What MOT testers find on the Isuzu TF: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 6,237 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 12 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Lights and electrics fails show up on 27.8 of every 100 MOTs of a Isuzu TF at 12 years old (n=1,794), against 15.4 for all cars of that age (n=7,303,151).
- Tyres fails are less common: 4.5 per 100 MOTs against 7.1 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 12 years: side/position light not working, on 7.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars 4.1).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material, on 22.2 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 12 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 27.8 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 9.3 |
| Suspension | 20.1 | 13.4 | 40.4 | 24.9 |
| Brakes | 14.7 | 8.2 | 32.7 | 24.0 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 8.1 | 5.2 | 6.9 | 4.4 |
| Body and structure | 7.7 | 4.3 | 19.8 | 6.5 |
| Tyres | 4.5 | 7.1 | 19.3 | 27.7 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 3.5 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 |
| Steering | 1.9 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.1 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Road wheels | 0.2 | 0.5 |
What testers fail most on the TF at 12 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 7.8 | 4.1 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 5.7 | 0.5 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush | Suspension | 5.4 | 0.2 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 5.1 | 2.4 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 4.8 | 0.8 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Brake light not working | Lights and electrics | 4.8 | 2.8 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 4.7 | 1.5 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Side repeaters: not working | Lights and electrics | 4.1 | 0.6 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.8 | 2.0 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Dipped headlight not working | Lights and electrics | 3.8 | 2.1 | £18 to £86 per lamp |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 12 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Brakes | 22.2 | 4.5 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Wheel bearings: has slight play | Suspension | 18.8 | 0.5 | £103 to £276 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 14.3 | 18.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | Lights and electrics | 7.1 | 4.6 | |
| Chassis condition: is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced | Body and structure | 6.8 | 0.3 | |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Suspension | 6.6 | 1.9 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush | Suspension | 6.5 | 0.4 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated | Suspension | 4.9 | 1.0 | |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 4.8 | 7.6 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 4.6 | 10.4 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Suspension | Brakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 years | 1,389 | 27.1 | 18.5 | 14.6 |
| 12 years | 1,794 | 27.8 | 20.1 | 14.7 |
| 13 years | 1,737 | 29.0 | 20.8 | 15.3 |
| 14 years | 1,317 | 28.2 | 24.0 | 15.9 |
What to check on a viewing
On the Isuzu TF, testers most often record side/position light not working; rear fog lamp: not working; shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Isuzu TF?
At 12 years, the age with the most MOT tests (1,794), the fail items testers record most often on the Isuzu TF are side/position light not working (7.8 per 100 MOTs), rear fog lamp: not working (5.7 per 100 MOTs), shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush (5.4 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (22.2) and wheel bearings: has slight play (18.8).
Which parts of the Isuzu TF fail more often than on other cars?
At 12 years: lights and electrics (27.8 per 100 MOTs against 15.4 for all cars); suspension (20.1 per 100 MOTs against 13.4 for all cars); brakes (14.7 per 100 MOTs against 8.2 for all cars). Compared with 7,303,151 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Isuzu TF problems by area
Other Isuzu models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Isuzu TF?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
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