Is the Suzuki SX4 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Suzuki SX4 is below average. It passes 70.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 163 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Suzuki SX4?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 21.0% of failed Suzuki SX4 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 SX4?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.6% of all Suzuki SX4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Suzuki SX4 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 73,346 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.

Does a Suzuki SX4 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.6% of Suzuki SX4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 51.8%. 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 SX4 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Suzuki SX4 cars tested, 86% are petrol, 14% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Suzuki SX4 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 37,487 recorded MOT tests of the Suzuki SX4, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Suzuki SX4 passes 70.7% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 163 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 37,487 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 21.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 73,346 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

70.7%national average72.3%unadjusted69.1%range covered97%rank163 of 262

The SX4 is 1.6 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 69.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Suzuki SX4 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened21.0%
1,997 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.4%
1,846 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded17.3%
1,647 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn15.4%
1,459 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.0%
946 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.7%
919 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.6%
818 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.3%
693 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement7.2%
682 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake5.8%
550 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Suzuki SX4 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.6%
10,333 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded20.6%
7,714 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged13.5%
5,076 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.6%
4,714 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.7%
3,648 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.1%
3,021 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened6.0%
2,262 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded5.6%
2,114 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs84%

9–11 yrs75%

12–14 yrs61%

15+ yrs52%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The SX4 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 73,346
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol86.4%
Diesel13.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (3)

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

SX4 4X4
SX4 SZ-L
SX4 SZ4

Check a specific Suzuki SX4

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 Ignis — 73.5% adjusted
Suzuki Celerio — 82.9% unadjusted
Suzuki Jimny — 73.0% adjusted
All Suzuki models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Peugeot 5008 — 64.0% adjusted, ranked 228
Volkswagen Touareg — 79.4% adjusted, ranked 60
Isuzu D-Max — 72.3% adjusted, ranked 142
Fiat 500X — 75.2% adjusted, ranked 108

Common questions

Is the Suzuki SX4 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Suzuki SX4 is below average. It passes 70.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 163 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Suzuki SX4?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 21.0% of failed Suzuki SX4 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 SX4?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.6% of all Suzuki SX4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Suzuki SX4 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 73,346 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.
Does a Suzuki SX4 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.6% of Suzuki SX4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 51.8%. 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 SX4 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Suzuki SX4 cars tested, 86% are petrol, 14% 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.