Suspension faults at the MOT: which 2008-2011 cars most often failed with one, ranked with the bases shown

The short answer

Across all gated models first used in 2008 to 2011, about 1 in 11 first tests (9.1% of 29,579,761 tests, 2021 to 2025) failed with at least one suspension item. The two models at the top of the list, the Suzuki Splash and the Nissan Qashqai of those years, were at about 1 in 7 (15.1% and 15.0%). The gap between the top of the table and the national figure is real, but it is a gap between fleets of cars that are now ten to seventeen years old, not a verdict on any one car.

If you are viewing one of these models, the MOT history will show you whether this particular car has had suspension items recorded, and the checks at the end of this article take ten minutes on a driveway.

How to read this table

Share of tests is the share of all first tests on that model, first used in those years, that failed with a suspension item. It is the only column the ranking uses and the only one you can compare between models. Share of that model's fails tells you how much of its failures were suspension, which says something about what went wrong on that model but nothing about how often it fails; a model that rarely fails except on suspension would score high there and low on share of tests. Years included is how many of the four first-used years passed the 500-test floor for that model; a row resting on one year is thin evidence.

What the data shows

The list is close-packed: two percentage points separate the top row from the tenth. The Compass row rests on one first-used year and 3,332 tests, and the Grand Modus on three years, so treat those two as indications rather than rankings. The Qashqai and Clio rows are the opposite: each stands on hundreds of thousands of tests, so their position is well established. The test counts behind every row are in the note at the foot of the page.

What a suspension fail usually is

The MOT inspection manual treats a fractured or seriously weakened spring as a major defect, which fails the test. An excessively worn suspension pin, bush, joint or bearing is also major, and one that is likely to become detached is dangerous. A shock absorber that no longer works or shows severe leakage is major, though a slight film of fluid on it is not a reason for rejection. On cars of this age a broken coil spring and worn bushes or ball joints are the usual reasons the suspension line appears on a fail sheet. The dataset records which item was found, not why; age, mileage, roads and how the car was kept all play a part, and none of them is in the data.

What to check when you view one

1. The history before the car. Look up the registration on the GOV.UK MOT history service and read every test since 2005. A suspension item that fails, is fixed and returns two years later is a pattern worth asking about.
2. Springs, by eye. With the car on level ground, look through each wheel for the coil spring and check that both ends sit in their seats and that there is no fresh break in the coil.
3. The bounce. Press down hard on each corner and let go. A corner that keeps bouncing suggests a shock absorber that has stopped doing its job; look for fluid running down its body.
4. Noise on the test drive. Knocks over bumps at low speed usually point to a worn bush, link or ball joint. Open the window and listen.
5. Uneven tyre wear. Worn suspension parts let the wheel sit at the wrong angle, and the inner or outer edge of the tyre pays for it.

What this does not mean

Every figure here describes a fleet, not a car. A well-kept Splash of these years can pass its test year after year; a neglected example of a model near the bottom of the list can fail on a broken spring tomorrow. The ranking uses first tests only, counts a pass after rectification as a fail, and pools five test years, so it describes how these groups fared between 2021 and 2025, not how a given car will fare next month. It also says nothing about the manufacturer: the data records what the tester found on cars that are now well past ten years old, and that is all it records.

Sources and method

Rows are gated models (500 or more first tests in a first-used year) first used 2008 to 2011, all test years 2021 to 2025 pooled, cars only (van, pickup and motorhome model names removed; the national row keeps them). Share of tests is failed first tests recording at least one suspension item divided by all first tests on that model. Test counts behind the rows: Suzuki Splash 38,083; Nissan Qashqai 509,063; Mercedes-Benz CLC 45,008; Vauxhall Agila 86,278; Jeep Compass 3,332; Renault Clio 401,562; Nissan X-Trail 43,684; Renault Grand Modus 13,367; Suzuki SX4 46,192; Mazda 5 31,147; national 29,579,761 first tests, of which 9,471,108 failed and 2,688,657 failed with a suspension item. The national first-test pass rate in 2025 was 72.3% (33,210,951 tests).

• DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025
• GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle
• GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 5 (suspension)

This article is general information drawn from published test records. It is not professional, mechanical or legal advice, and an MOT pass or a clean MOT history does not guarantee that a car is roadworthy today. If you are unsure about a car, have it inspected by a qualified mechanic. You can check any vehicle's MOT history free on the official GOV.UK MOT history service.