How reliable is the Suzuki Carry compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Suzuki Carry, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 58.0% across 3,464 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Suzuki Carry?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 22.4% of all Suzuki Carry tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Suzuki Carry usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,247 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.

Model reliability file

Suzuki Carry MOT pass rate & common failures

From 3,464 recorded MOT tests of the Suzuki Carry, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 3,464 MOT tests, 58.0% of Suzuki Carry tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Suzuki Carry fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which appears in 47.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 84,247 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

58.0%unadjusted, not comparable3,464 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Carry. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 3,464 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired47.1%
563 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.6%
222 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced17.2%
206 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.8%
177 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded12.0%
144 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.1%
133 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer11.0%
131 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
8.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction10.5%
126 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
9.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.5%
113 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
10.Exhaust system leaking or insecure9.0%
107 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded22.4%
774 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.4%
671 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged13.0%
451 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired11.6%
401 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
5.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)11.3%
391 tests
6.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced11.2%
389 testsCorrosion in a structural area explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.4%
325 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured8.1%
282 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The Carry fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 84,247
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.7%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

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

CARRY MANUAL
SUZUKI CARRY

Check a specific Suzuki Carry

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

Compare within the range

Other Suzuki models

Suzuki Swift — 70.4% adjusted
Suzuki Vitara — 76.2% adjusted
Suzuki Alto — 58.8% adjusted
Suzuki SX4 — 70.7% adjusted
Suzuki Ignis — 73.5% adjusted
Suzuki Celerio — 82.9% unadjusted
All Suzuki models

Common questions

How reliable is the Suzuki Carry compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Suzuki Carry, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 58.0% across 3,464 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Suzuki Carry?: The item recorded most often is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", which appears in 47.1% of failed Suzuki Carry 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 Suzuki Carry?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 22.4% of all Suzuki Carry tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Suzuki Carry usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,247 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.

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. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

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.