How reliable is the Suzuki Grand Vitara compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Suzuki Grand Vitara, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 62.3% across 18,202 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 Grand Vitara?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 26.4% of all Suzuki Grand Vitara tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Suzuki Grand Vitara usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 92,524 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.

Which Suzuki Grand Vitara years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Suzuki Grand Vitara cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 81.1%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 59.8%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Suzuki Grand Vitara get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 81.1% of Suzuki Grand Vitara tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Suzuki Grand Vitara models petrol or diesel?

Of the Suzuki Grand Vitara cars tested, 76% are petrol, 24% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Suzuki Grand Vitara MOT pass rate & common failures

From 18,202 recorded MOT tests of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 18,202 MOT tests, 62.3% of Suzuki Grand Vitara tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Suzuki Grand Vitara 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 20.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 92,524 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

62.3%unadjusted, not comparable18,202 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Grand Vitara. 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 18,202 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Suzuki Grand Vitara 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 repaired20.6%
1,156 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning17.3%
969 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc14.8%
829 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.8%
659 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.5%
645 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.8%
606 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
7.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired9.6%
539 occurrencesSeat belt anchorage corroded or weakened explained
8.Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point8.8%
495 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
9.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.2%
462 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
10.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.6%
428 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Suzuki Grand Vitara 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 corroded26.4%
4,808 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.7%
3,592 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged14.9%
2,715 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users13.4%
2,436 tests
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.6%
2,295 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded11.9%
2,169 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn11.2%
2,035 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded9.0%
1,636 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Suzuki Grand Vitara

The 13 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Suzuki Grand Vitara common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Grand Vitara, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Grand Vitara common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Grand Vitara pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Suzuki Grand Vitara passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 9 to 11 was first used in 2014–2016.

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201681%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201370%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier60%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Grand Vitara outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Grand Vitara fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 92,524
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol76.1%
Diesel23.9%

Check a specific Suzuki Grand Vitara

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 Grand Vitara compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Suzuki Grand Vitara, 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 62.3% across 18,202 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 Grand Vitara?: 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 20.6% of failed Suzuki Grand Vitara 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 Grand Vitara?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 26.4% of all Suzuki Grand Vitara tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Suzuki Grand Vitara usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 92,524 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.
Which Suzuki Grand Vitara years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Suzuki Grand Vitara cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 81.1%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 59.8%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Suzuki Grand Vitara get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 81.1% of Suzuki Grand Vitara tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Suzuki Grand Vitara models petrol or diesel?: Of the Suzuki Grand Vitara cars tested, 76% are petrol, 24% are diesel. 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. 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.