Is the Hyundai Tucson reliable?

On MOT evidence the Hyundai Tucson is above average. It passes 74.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 83% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. 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 Tucson?

The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 22.5% of failed Hyundai Tucson 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 Tucson?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.3% of all Hyundai Tucson tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 50,511 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 Tucson get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.4% of Hyundai Tucson tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.2%. 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 Tucson models petrol or diesel?

Of the Hyundai Tucson cars tested, 50% are petrol, 29% are diesel, 18% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Hyundai Tucson MOT pass rate & common failures

From 168,452 recorded MOT tests of the Hyundai Tucson, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Hyundai Tucson passes 74.8% 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 above average. Based on 168,452 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which appears in 22.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 50,511 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

74.8%national average72.3%unadjusted83.0%range covered83%

The Tucson is 2.5 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 83.0%; 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 Tucson tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm22.5%
5,328 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.4%
4,587 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.9%
2,809 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged10.5%
2,494 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.9%
1,641 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.4%
1,504 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
7.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play5.1%
1,194 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
8.Parking brake inoperative on one side4.4%
1,039 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
9.Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment4.2%
985 occurrencesParking brake lever or cable travel excessive explained
10.Warning device shows system malfunction4.0%
938 occurrencesBrake system warning lamp on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.3%
37,567 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm14.2%
23,903 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged13.5%
22,734 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured7.5%
12,645 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4.8%
8,023 tests
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.4%
7,397 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.1%
6,964 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.8%
4,752 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs88%

6–8 yrs82%

9–11 yrs76%

15+ yrs54%

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

What gets tested

The Tucson fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 50,511
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol49.8%
Diesel29.1%
Hybrid17.6%
Diesel hybrid3.4%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

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

TUCSON ADVANCE MHEV S-A
TUCSON ADVANCE PHEV AUTO
TUCSON ADVANCE T-GDI HEV AUTO
TUCSON CRDI
TUCSON GDI
TUCSON N LINE GDI 2WD
TUCSON N LINE MHEV S-A
TUCSON N LINE PHEV AUTO
TUCSON N LINE S T-GDI
TUCSON N LINE S T-GDI HEV AUTO
TUCSON N LINE S T-GDI MHEV S-A
TUCSON N LINE S TGDI PHEV 4X4A
TUCSON N LINE T-GDI
TUCSON N LINE T-GDI 2WD
TUCSON N LINE T-GDI HEV AUTO
TUCSON N LINE T-GDI MHEV S-A
TUCSON N LINE T-GDI PHEV 4X4 A
TUCSON N LN S TGDI MHEV 4X4 SA
TUCSON N LN48V MHEV CRDI2WD SA
TUCSON N LNE 48V MHEV CRDI 2WD
TUCSON PREM 48V MHEV CRDI 2WD
TUCSON PREM SE 48V MHEV CRDI A
TUCSON PREMIUM
TUCSON PREMIUM 48V
TUCSON PREMIUM 48V MHEV CRDI A
TUCSON PREMIUM PHEV AUTO
TUCSON PREMIUM SE
TUCSON PREMIUM T-GDI
TUCSON PREMIUM T-GDI HEV AUTO
TUCSON PREMIUM T-GDI MHEV
TUCSON PREMIUM T-GDI MHEV S-A
TUCSON PREMIUM TGDI PHEV 4X4 A
TUCSON PRM SE48V MHEV CRDI 2WD
TUCSON PRM SE48V MHEV CRDI2WDSA
TUCSON SE
TUCSON SE CONNECT T-GDI
TUCSON SE CONNECT T-GDI HEV A
TUCSON SE CONNECT T-GDI MHEV
TUCSON SE CONNECT TGDI MHEV SA
TUCSON SE CRDI

Check a specific Hyundai Tucson

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 I20 — 70.0% 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

Ford KA — 62.7% adjusted, ranked 240
Ford Mondeo — 76.0% adjusted, ranked 96
Toyota Prius — 81.4% adjusted, ranked 45
Ford Transit Connect — 68.4% adjusted, ranked 192

Common questions

Is the Hyundai Tucson reliable?: On MOT evidence the Hyundai Tucson is above average. It passes 74.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 83% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. 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 Tucson?: The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 22.5% of failed Hyundai Tucson 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 Tucson?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.3% of all Hyundai Tucson tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Hyundai Tucson usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 50,511 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 Tucson get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.4% of Hyundai Tucson tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.2%. 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 Tucson models petrol or diesel?: Of the Hyundai Tucson cars tested, 50% are petrol, 29% are diesel, 18% are hybrid. 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.