The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Suzuki Baleno common problems

What fails on the Suzuki Baleno at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 6,685 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Suzuki Baleno's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, tyres, brake pipes, recorded in 66.3%, 25.5% and 23.3% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2019 cars pass most often (81.7%) and 2017 cars least (71.8%), 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 Baleno 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 6,685 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Baleno

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Suzuki Baleno 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.Suspension bushes

    66.3% 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 joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained53.4%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.4%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.0%

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

  2. 2.Tyres

    25.5% 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” — explained18.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.7%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained1.8%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained1.3%

    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

  3. 3.Brake pipes

    23.3% 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” — explained23.3%

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

  4. 4.Wiper blades and washers

    19.1% 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” — explained11.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained5.6%
    • “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.Bulbs and lamps

    10.6% of failed tests

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

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.3%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained3.1%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained3.0%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained1.1%

    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

  6. 6.Horn

    10.4% of failed tests

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

    • “Audible warning inoperative” — explained8.0%
    • “Audible warning sound not in accordance with requirements” — explained2.4%

  7. 7.Brake discs

    6.9% of failed tests

    Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

    • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained4.0%
    • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained1.7%
    • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained1.3%

    Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

  8. 8.Parking brake

    6.1% 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” — explained4.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained1.5%

By registration year

Baleno problems by year

MOT pass rate for Suzuki Baleno 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 2019, up 9.2 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201672%
201772%−0.5
201873%+0.8
201982%+9.2

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 Baleno owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the Baleno file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Suzuki Baleno?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 66.3% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 25.5% of failed tests), and brake pipes (recorded in 23.3% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 6,685 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Suzuki Baleno year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Suzuki Baleno cars registered in 2019 do best at 81.7% and 2017 cars do worst at 71.8%. 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 2019, up 9.2 points on 2018.
Is the Suzuki Baleno reliable?
The Suzuki Baleno passes 73.5% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. 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 Baleno?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, tyres, brake pipes. 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