Common problems
Suzuki Wagon R+ brake problems
How often MOT testers find brake faults on the Suzuki Wagon R+ at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 32,729 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 20 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- At 20 years, 13.8 of every 100 MOTs of the Suzuki Wagon R+ found a brake fail (n=6,090), against 13.5 for all cars of that age (n=1,845,952).
- It is above the all-car rate at 5 of the 9 ages with at least 1,000 tests.
- The gap is widest at 24 years: 22.2 per 100 MOTs against 12.2 for all cars.
- The brake fail item recorded most often at 20 years: rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, on 4.9 per 100 MOTs.
- The most common brake advisory or minor defect: rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material, on 25.7 per 100 MOTs.
Brakes fails by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | Tests (n) | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 years | 1,334 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 40.0 | 29.5 |
| 17 years | 2,808 | 11.0 | 12.3 | 39.0 | 31.1 |
| 18 years | 4,495 | 10.7 | 12.9 | 38.0 | 32.3 |
| 19 years | 5,659 | 12.1 | 13.3 | 37.6 | 33.3 |
| 20 years | 6,090 | 13.8 | 13.5 | 39.3 | 33.7 |
| 21 years | 5,259 | 15.3 | 13.3 | 40.5 | 33.7 |
| 22 years | 3,845 | 17.9 | 13.1 | 42.0 | 33.2 |
| 23 years | 2,184 | 20.3 | 12.7 | 44.8 | 32.2 |
| 24 years | 1,055 | 22.2 | 12.2 | 44.4 | 30.7 |
Brakes fail items at 20 years
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | 4.9 | 2.5 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle | 2.4 | 1.0 | |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | 1.6 | 1.6 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Handbrake too weak | 1.3 | 2.8 |
Brakes advisories and minor defects at 20 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 | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | 25.7 | 15.2 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | 9.1 | 10.7 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | 5.6 | 5.7 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Flexible brake hoses: has slight corrosion to ferrule | 3.8 | 2.6 |
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.
What to check on a viewing
On the Suzuki Wagon R+, the brake items testers fail most are rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded; service brake imbalance: across an axle; brake pads under 1.5 mm.
- 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: a brake advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the common brake problems on the Suzuki Wagon R+?
At 20 years (6,090 MOTs), the brake fail items testers record most often are rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded (4.9 per 100 MOTs), service brake imbalance: across an axle (2.4 per 100 MOTs), brake pads under 1.5 mm (1.6 per 100 MOTs). The most common brake advisories or minor defects are rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (25.7) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (9.1).
Does the Suzuki Wagon R+ have more brake problems than other cars?
At 20 years it has 13.8 brake fails per 100 MOTs against 13.5 for all cars of the same age (about the same). It is above the all-car rate at 5 of the 9 ages with enough tests.
What does a brake repair cost on the Suzuki Wagon R+?
For rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, an independent garage estimate is £137 to £392 per car (rough guide). This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.
More on the Suzuki Wagon R+
- All Suzuki Wagon R+ common problems
- Wagon R+ suspension problems
- Wagon R+ electrical and lighting problems
- Wagon R+ steering problems
- Wagon R+ body and structure problems
- Wagon R+ exhaust and emissions problems
- Wagon R+ windscreen and wiper problems
- Wagon R+ tyre problems
- Suzuki Wagon R+ MOT fail rate by age
Brake problems on other Suzuki models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Suzuki Wagon R+?
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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