The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Suzuki Alto common problems

What fails on the Suzuki Alto at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 45,471 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Suzuki Alto's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres, recorded in 40.1%, 29.8% and 28.3% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2015 cars pass most often (68.7%) and 2010 cars least (60.2%), 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 Suzuki Alto 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 45,471 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Alto

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Suzuki Alto 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.Bulbs and lamps

    40.1% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained16.4%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained13.9%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained5.9%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained2.3%

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

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    29.8% 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” — explained11.3%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained6.4%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.7%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.0%

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

  3. 3.Tyres

    28.3% 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” — explained13.4%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained5.3%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.7%

    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

  4. 4.Wiper blades and washers

    21.9% 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” — explained14.2%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained5.2%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.5%

    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

  5. 5.Brake pipes

    20.8% of failed tests

    Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

    • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained20.8%

    Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

  6. 6.Horn

    7.6% of failed tests

    Contacts corrode and the unit fails; a two-minute check before the test.

    • “Audible warning inoperative” — explained6.1%
    • “Audible warning sound not in accordance with requirements” — explained1.5%

  7. 7.Brake callipers

    7.6% of failed tests

    Pistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.

    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained3.9%
    • “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.” — explained3.6%

  8. 8.Driveshaft gaiters

    7.2% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained7.2%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

By registration year

Alto problems by year

MOT pass rate for Suzuki Alto 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. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

200961%
201060%−0.9
201163%+2.9
201265%+1.5
201367%+2.1
201468%+1.5
201569%+0.4

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 Alto owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the Alto file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Suzuki Alto?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 40.1% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 29.8% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 28.3% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 45,471 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Suzuki Alto year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Suzuki Alto cars registered in 2015 do best at 68.7% and 2010 cars do worst at 60.2%. 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.
Is the Suzuki Alto reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Suzuki Alto passes 58.8% 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 Suzuki Alto?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres. 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