Is the Hyundai I20 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Hyundai I20 is below average. It passes 70.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 171 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What do testers most often warn about on a Hyundai I20?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 19.4% of all Hyundai I20 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Hyundai I20 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 59,967 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Hyundai I20 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.6% of Hyundai I20 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 58.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Hyundai I20 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Hyundai I20 cars tested, 88% are petrol, 8% are hybrid, 4% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Hyundai I20 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 133,054 recorded MOT tests of the Hyundai I20, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Hyundai I20 passes 70.0% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 171 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 133,054 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 14.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 59,967 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

70.0%national average72.3%unadjusted72.6%range covered100%rank171 of 262

The I20 is 2.3 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 72.6%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Hyundai I20 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.1%
3,894 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc13.9%
3,848 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.5%
3,191 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.4%
2,886 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded9.4%
2,602 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.4%
2,588 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen7.0%
1,935 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.9%
1,921 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged6.3%
1,739 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.0%
1,655 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Hyundai I20 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A tyre seriously damaged19.4%
25,765 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements18.7%
24,912 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded12.4%
16,455 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.3%
16,389 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.7%
12,945 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened3.8%
5,052 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.3%
4,346 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn2.9%
3,800 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs87%

6–8 yrs83%

9–11 yrs75%

12–14 yrs59%

15+ yrs59%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The I20 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 59,967
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol87.6%
Hybrid8.4%
Diesel4.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (25)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

I20 ACTIVE
I20 ADVANCE T-GDI
I20 ADVANCE T-GDI AUTO
I20 COMFORT
I20 COUPE SE
I20 ELEMENT T-GDI
I20 N LINE MHEV T-GDI
I20 N LINE MHEV T-GDI AUTO
I20 N LINE S S-A
I20 N T-GDI
I20 PLAY EDITION
I20 PREMIUM
I20 PREMIUM MHEV T-GDI
I20 PREMIUM MHEV T-GDI AUTO
I20 PREMIUM SE
I20 PREMIUM T-GDI
I20 PREMIUM T-GDI AUTO
I20 SE
I20 SE CONNECT MHEV T-GDI
I20 SE CONNECT MHEV T-GDI AUTO
I20 STYLE
I20 TURBO EDITION
I20 ULTIMATE MHEV T-GDI
I20 ULTIMATE MHEV T-GDI AUTO
I20 ULTIMATE T-GDI

Check a specific Hyundai I20

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Hyundai models

Hyundai I10 — 67.7% adjusted
Hyundai Tucson — 74.8% adjusted
Hyundai I30 — 68.7% adjusted
Hyundai Kona — 86.3% unadjusted
Hyundai IX35 — 63.8% unadjusted
Hyundai Ioniq — 86.2% unadjusted
All Hyundai models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Suzuki Swift — 70.4% adjusted, ranked 169
BMW 2 Series — 82.9% adjusted, ranked 29
Mazda 2 — 69.8% adjusted, ranked 173
Volkswagen UP — 76.8% adjusted, ranked 88

Common questions

Is the Hyundai I20 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Hyundai I20 is below average. It passes 70.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 171 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Hyundai I20?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 14.1% of failed Hyundai I20 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Hyundai I20?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 19.4% of all Hyundai I20 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Hyundai I20 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 59,967 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Hyundai I20 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.6% of Hyundai I20 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 58.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Hyundai I20 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Hyundai I20 cars tested, 88% are petrol, 8% are hybrid, 4% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.