The picture
I30: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 135,046 MOT tests, the I30 returns 72.4% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a worn steering ball joint. A weak handbrake and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 75,345, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
5,197 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 02
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
4,830 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
4,599 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
4,395 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 05
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
3,509 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 06
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
3,213 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 07
Parking brake inoperative on one side
2,920 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 08
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
2,788 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 09
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2,778 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 10
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2,439 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£156–£405
If every one of this I30's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a I30?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a I30 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.