The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Hyundai Tucson common problems

What fails on the Hyundai Tucson at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 168,452 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Hyundai Tucson's most common MOT problems are tyres, brake pads and shoes, wiper blades and washers, recorded in 37.1%, 23.9% and 19.0% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2021 cars pass most often (89.5%) and 2015 cars least (73.5%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Hyundai Tucson that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 168,452 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Tucson

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Hyundai Tucson tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    37.1% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained19.4%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained10.5%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained3.9%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.0%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Brake pads and shoes

    23.9% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained22.5%
    • “Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator” — explained1.4%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

  3. 3.Wiper blades and washers

    19.0% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained11.9%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.7%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.4%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  4. 4.Parking brake

    17.1% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained6.4%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained4.4%
    • “Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment” — explained4.2%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained2.1%

  5. 5.Suspension bushes

    11.0% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained6.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.6%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.5%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.0%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  6. 6.Catalytic converter and emissions

    5.7% of failed tests

    Catalysts degrade with age and misfires; a failed emissions reading is usually the catalyst, a lambda sensor or a tired engine.

    • “Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits” — explained2.7%
    • “Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer” — explained1.6%
    • “Emissions levels exceed default limits” — explained1.4%

  7. 7.Engine management

    5.1% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained3.5%
    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained1.6%

  8. 8.Ball joints

    5.1% of failed tests

    Steering and suspension ball joints wear internally and their dust covers split; excessive play fails.

    • “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play” — explained5.1%

    Across all cars, ball joints failures climb 28-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long ball joints last

By registration year

Tucson problems by year

MOT pass rate for Hyundai Tucson cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2021, up 5.2 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201573%
201677%+3.6
201779%+2.4
201882%+2.7
201984%+2.0
202084%+0.2
202190%+5.2
202289%−0.1

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Tucson owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Hyundai Tucson tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Tucson file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Hyundai Tucson?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 37.1% of failed tests), brake pads and shoes (recorded in 23.9% of failed tests), and wiper blades and washers (recorded in 19.0% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 168,452 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Hyundai Tucson year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Hyundai Tucson cars registered in 2021 do best at 89.5% and 2015 cars do worst at 73.5%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2021, up 5.2 points on 2020.
Is the Hyundai Tucson reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Hyundai Tucson passes 74.8% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Hyundai Tucson?
Start with what fails most: tyres, brake pads and shoes, wiper blades and washers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of