Known faults, from the test record
Suzuki Splash common problems
What fails on the Suzuki Splash at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 16,969 DVSA test records.
Data updated
Quick answer
The Suzuki Splash's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, coil springs, recorded in 54.9%, 24.4% and 22.5% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2014 cars pass most often (69.8%) and 2008 cars least (53.3%), 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 Splash 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 16,969 cars.
By component
What wears out on a Splash
Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Suzuki Splash 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.Suspension bushes
54.9% of failed testsRubber 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” — explained20.8%
- “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained8.3%
- “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” — explained5.9%
Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last
2.Bulbs and lamps
24.4% of failed testsFilament 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” — explained9.0%
- “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained6.8%
- “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained5.3%
- “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained3.4%
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
3.Coil springs
22.5% of failed testsSprings fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.
- “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained22.5%
Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last
4.Parking brake
21.3% of failed testsCables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.
5.Tyres
18.8% of failed testsTread 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” — explained9.1%
- “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained3.6%
- “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.5%
- “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.6%
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
6.Wiper blades and washers
15.8% of failed testsRubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.
- “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained12.0%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.1%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.7%
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
7.Brake callipers
15.0% of failed testsPistons 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” — explained9.3%
- “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.” — explained3.5%
- “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained2.2%
8.Brake pipes
14.6% of failed testsSteel 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” — explained14.6%
Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last
By registration year
Splash problems by year
MOT pass rate for Suzuki Splash 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 2012, up 6.0 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.
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 Splash owners about
Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Suzuki Splash tests carrying an advisory for each.
- Tyres45.3% of tests
- Brake pipes32.2% of tests
- Suspension bushes25.9% of tests
- Suspension arms and mountings14.0% of tests
- Brake discs10.4% of tests
Go deeper
The rest of the Splash file
Common questions
- What are the most common problems with a Suzuki Splash?
- Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 54.9% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 24.4% of failed tests), and coil springs (recorded in 22.5% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 16,969 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
- Which Suzuki Splash year is the most reliable?
- By MOT pass rate, Suzuki Splash cars registered in 2014 do best at 69.8% and 2008 cars do worst at 53.3%. 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 2012, up 6.0 points on 2011.
- Is the Suzuki Splash reliable?
- The Suzuki Splash passes 61.6% 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 Splash?
- Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, coil springs. 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