Suzuki Alto MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Suzuki Alto in Great Britain in 2025 — 45,475 tests. Figures cover every Alto first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the Alto ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
64.7%
7.6 points below the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
45,475
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
8.0%
of Alto first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
48,750
middle half: 33,750–66,250 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

How many Suzuki Alto cars are still on the road?

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 47,595 Suzuki Alto cars that were taxed or on SORN: 43,875 taxed and 3,720 on SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification — kept, but declared off the road by the keeper). The MOT figures above count tests; these count cars, across the whole United Kingdom, cars only. Suzuki Alto vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
43,875
92.2% of the 47,595 Alto cars taxed or on SORN; 17 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
3,720
declared off the road by their keepers — 7.8% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed Alto cars peaked at 72,123 at the end of 2014 and has since fallen by 28,248 (39.2%) to 43,875 at the end of 2025. Cars on SORN went from 1,045 at the end of 2014 to 3,720 at the end of 2025, up 256.0%. A car leaves the taxed count when it is scrapped, exported or declared off the road; the year-end counts do not say which.

Taxed Alto cars, year by year

Cars of this model taxed and on the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025.

020k40k60k80k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed Alto cars, year 2014: 72kTaxed Alto cars, year 2015: 71kTaxed Alto cars, year 2016: 68kTaxed Alto cars, year 2017: 65kTaxed Alto cars, year 2018: 62kTaxed Alto cars, year 2019: 59kTaxed Alto cars, year 2020: 56kTaxed Alto cars, year 2021: 53kTaxed Alto cars, year 2022: 51kTaxed Alto cars, year 2023: 49kTaxed Alto cars, year 2024: 47kTaxed Alto cars, year 2025: 44k44k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed Alto cars
201472,123
201571,128
201668,256
201764,872
201861,562
201958,585
202055,625
202153,142
202251,031
202349,022
202446,549
202543,875

Alto cars on SORN, year by year

Cars of this model declared off the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025. Its own scale — SORN counts are a fraction of the taxed count.

01k2k3k4k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Alto cars on SORN, year 2014: 1kAlto cars on SORN, year 2015: 2kAlto cars on SORN, year 2016: 2kAlto cars on SORN, year 2017: 2kAlto cars on SORN, year 2018: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2019: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2020: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2021: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2022: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2023: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2024: 3kAlto cars on SORN, year 2025: 4k4k
View this chart as a table
YearAlto cars on SORN
20141,045
20151,536
20162,129
20172,370
20182,574
20192,682
20202,959
20213,081
20223,035
20233,144
20243,407
20253,720

Which model years survive

Taxed Alto cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 43,875 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. A build year's count depends on how many were sold that year as well as how many have lasted.

Year of manufacture Taxed, end of 2025Share of taxed Alto cars
20151,7384.0%
201412,33228.1%
201311,04525.2%
20124,2839.8%
20114,0999.3%
20103,8998.9%
20094,51110.3%
20056631.5%
20045611.3%
All other build years (24 years, each under 1%)7441.7%

Population source: Department for Transport / DVLA vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026; counts of the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, United Kingdom, cars only, excluding cars recorded with no model name. SortedCars groups DVLA's model names ALTO, ALTO CRUZ under this model. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, DVLA or the Department for Transport.

How the Alto ages

First-time pass rate by vehicle age, Alto vs all cars, 2025.

Suzuki AltoAll cars
40%50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 10: 68.7%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 11: 68.3%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 12: 66.8%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 13: 64.7%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 14: 63.1%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 15: 60.2%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 16: 61.1%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 19: 47.9%Suzuki Alto, vehicle age 20: 48.2%All cars, vehicle age 3: 88.5%All cars, vehicle age 4: 87.2%All cars, vehicle age 5: 86%All cars, vehicle age 6: 83.5%All cars, vehicle age 7: 80.9%All cars, vehicle age 8: 78.2%All cars, vehicle age 9: 74.9%All cars, vehicle age 10: 71.9%All cars, vehicle age 11: 68.6%All cars, vehicle age 12: 65.8%All cars, vehicle age 13: 63.5%All cars, vehicle age 14: 61.2%All cars, vehicle age 15: 59.3%All cars, vehicle age 16: 58.3%All cars, vehicle age 17: 57.2%All cars, vehicle age 18: 57.4%All cars, vehicle age 19: 57%All cars, vehicle age 20: 57.6%All cars 57.6%Suzuki Alto 48.2%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Alto testsAlto pass rateAll cars
101,78868.7%71.9%
1112,49368.3%68.6%
1211,37566.8%65.8%
134,41364.7%63.5%
144,24063.1%61.2%
154,10760.2%59.3%
164,72261.1%58.3%
1950947.9%57.0%
2078848.2%57.6%

Better or worse than the average car?

The Alto's pass rate minus the all-cars pass rate at each age, in percentage points. Bars above zero: the Alto beats the average car of that age. Below zero: it trails.

Alto aheadAlto behind
-10-5+0+5+10Age 10: -3.2 points vs the average carAge 11: -0.3 points vs the average car11Age 12: +1.0 points vs the average carAge 13: +1.2 points vs the average car13Age 14: +1.9 points vs the average carAge 15: +0.9 points vs the average car15Age 16: +2.8 points vs the average carAge 19: -9.1 points vs the average car19Age 20: -9.4 points vs the average car20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
10-3.2
11-0.3
12+1.0
13+1.2
14+1.9
15+0.9
16+2.8
19-9.1
20-9.4

The Alto fleet on the road, by age

How many took a first MOT in 2025 at each age — the shape of the Alto fleet still in use.

05k10k15k20kAge 10: 1k10Age 11: 12kAge 12: 11k12Age 13: 4kAge 14: 4k14Age 15: 4kAge 16: 4k16Age 19: 509Age 20: 78820Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
101,788
1112,493
1211,375
134,413
144,240
154,107
164,722
19509
20788

What an Alto fails on

Where the failure items land when an Alto fails or needs a fix at test, 2025. Use it as a pre-purchase checklist: these are the areas to look at first.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment31.2%
Brakes18.0%
Suspension16.9%
Visibility11.1%
Tyres10.0%
Body, chassis, structure6.0%
Noise, emissions and leaks3.8%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1.3%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (98.3% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

Where testers most often write "keep an eye on this" for a Alto, 2025 — the faults in the post.

Suspension: 37.0% of advisories37.0%Brakes: 28.7% of advisories28.7%Tyres: 21.7% of advisories21.7%Body, chassis, structure: 2.9% of advisoriesNon-component advisories: 2.8% of advisoriesNoise, emissions and leaks: 2.0% of advisories
SuspensionBrakesTyresBody, chassis, structureNon-component advisoriesNoise, emissions and leaks
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Suspension37.0%
Brakes28.7%
Tyres21.7%
Body, chassis, structure2.9%
Non-component advisories2.8%
Noise, emissions and leaks2.0%

What mileage is normal for an Alto?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) Alto; the shaded band holds the middle half. A car far outside the band, in either direction, is worth questions the recorded history can answer.

Typical Alto (median)
0k25k50k75k100k1012141620Vehicle age (years)Age 10: typical 48,750 miles (middle half 33,750–66,250)Age 11: typical 51,250 miles (middle half 33,750–71,250)Age 12: typical 58,750 miles (middle half 41,250–78,750)Age 13: typical 63,750 miles (middle half 43,750–83,750)Age 14: typical 68,750 miles (middle half 48,750–88,750)Age 15: typical 71,250 miles (middle half 48,750–91,250)Age 16: typical 68,750 miles (middle half 48,750–91,250)Age 19: typical 53,750 miles (middle half 38,750–71,250)Age 20: typical 53,750 miles (middle half 36,250–73,750)53k mi

Mileage values are midpoints of 2,500-mile bands.

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
1033,75048,75066,250
1133,75051,25071,250
1241,25058,75078,750
1343,75063,75083,750
1448,75068,75088,750
1548,75071,25091,250
1648,75068,75091,250
1938,75053,75071,250
2036,25053,75073,750

What fails at each age

The Alto's failure mix by age band, 2025 — each band's top categories at their true share of that band's failure items; the pale remainder is everything else. How the mix shifts with age is the point of the chart.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentBrakesSuspensionTyresVisibilityBody, chassis, structureEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment25.5%
10-13 yrsBrakes20.0%
10-13 yrsSuspension19.3%
10-13 yrsTyres13.3%
10-13 yrsVisibility9.8%
10-13 yrsEverything else12.1%
14+ yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.0%
14+ yrsBrakes22.7%
14+ yrsSuspension20.9%
14+ yrsTyres9.0%
14+ yrsBody, chassis, structure8.4%
14+ yrsEverything else16.0%

More vehicles we've checked

How these figures are computed. Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (every MOT test in Great Britain — 2025 for single-year figures; trend figures state their span, currently 2023–2025). Where a figure comes from a sample or uses banded values (mileage is banded to 2,500 miles), the page says so beside the figure. Test class 4 only, first tests only — retests are excluded. Class 4 is the car MOT class and also covers car-derived vans, pickups and motorhomes tested to the same standard; where this page says "cars" it means class 4. Pass rate = passes ÷ (passes + failures + pass-after-rectification): a vehicle that failed and was fixed during the visit counts as a fail. Pass rates describe fleets, not individual machines: they reflect how cars were driven, maintained and used as well as how they were built, and beyond recorded mileage none of that is in the data. A well-kept example of a model with a weak average can still pass; a neglected example of a strong one can still fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Alias spellings of a make in the DVSA file are counted under one make name, and all trims and variants of a model are grouped under one model name, using SortedCars' grouping tables. The taxed and SORN counts on this page are the one exception: they are not computed from MOT records but taken from the Department for Transport's vehicle licensing statistics (DfT/DVLA table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0), which count the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, UK-wide, cars only. They describe a model as a whole, grouped under SortedCars' model names, and say nothing about any one car. “Dangerous” is DVSA's statutory defect category (in force since May 2018): a defect posing an immediate risk to road safety — driving the vehicle before repair is an offence. What these figures are for. These statistics are general information about groups of vehicles. They are not advice, a valuation or a recommendation to buy, avoid or price any particular vehicle, and no decision about one car should rest on them alone — check the car itself and its own records. We take care over the calculations, but we cannot guarantee they are complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for loss arising from reliance on them. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited — see our Terms & Conditions. If you believe any figure on this page is inaccurate, contact us. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the DVSA or DVLA. DVSA publishes the raw test records; the statistics on this page are SortedCars' own calculations from them. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.