Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 75,107 tests

Pass rate climbs 1.1 points across the cohorts — newer Ioniq examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 13,931

Pass

86.0%

Fail

10.4%

PRS

3.1%

Avg mileage at test

82,895 mi

2018–2020 cohort 37,769

Pass

88.7%

Fail

7.9%

PRS

3.1%

Avg mileage at test

56,532 mi

2021+ cohort 23,407

Pass

87.1%

Fail

8.1%

PRS

4.2%

Avg mileage at test

35,013 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Hyundai Ioniq: solid MOT record across 36,972 tests

The Hyundai Ioniq is a compact car which was manufactured and marketed by Hyundai from 2016 to 2022. A five-door liftback, it is marketed as the first Hyundai automobile to be offered without a standard internal combustion engine, but rather sold in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric variants.

MOT data from 36,972 tests puts this car on an 87.3% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 50,396 miles. The most common fail item is inoperative wiper blade, followed by defective wiper blade.

Built on a chassis created specifically to carry the world’s first choice of three efficient and ultra-low emission powertrains, the IONIQ boasts 53% Advanced High Strength Steel combined cleverly with lightweight aluminum. The new model saves 12.6kg (45%) of weight by casting no.

For used buyers, the Ioniq's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 16–24

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

16–24

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

1,056 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,033 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
03

Wiper blade defective

943 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
04

A tyre seriously damaged

672 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
05

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

666 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
06

Headlamp levelling device inoperative

414 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
07

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

396 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
08

A tyre cords visible or damaged

391 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
09

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

387 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement

286 occurrences · 0.4% 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 3 failures

£100–£185

If every one of this Ioniq'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.7-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Hyundai Ioniq makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

88.7%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.7% — a 2.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 56,532 miles — roughly 26K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

86.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 82,895 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.0% pass). That's a 2.7-point spread across 13,931 older tests and 37,769 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Sleek Silver Metallic 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Polar White 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Electric Red 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Creamy White 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Prices will start from £19,995 for the Ioniq Hybrid SE 1.6 GDi, which includes standard features such as 15-inch alloy wheels, DAB with Bluetooth, Cruise Control and Rear Parking Sensors with Rear View Camera. Standard safety features include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) and individual Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Where it falls short

Recall history

4 UK recalls on record.

The Ioniq has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an Ioniq?

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 an Ioniq 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.