Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 197,566 tests

Pass rate climbs 3.9 points across the cohorts — newer Tucson examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 110,226

Pass

81.8%

Fail

14.8%

PRS

2.9%

Avg mileage at test

65,741 mi

2018–2020 cohort 83,954

Pass

87.0%

Fail

9.9%

PRS

2.7%

Avg mileage at test

38,877 mi

2021+ cohort 3,386

Pass

85.7%

Fail

9.4%

PRS

4.0%

Avg mileage at test

25,763 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Hyundai Tucson · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Hyundai Tucson: solid MOT record across 130,510 tests

The Hyundai Tucson is a compact crossover SUV produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. It is named after the city of Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

MOT data from 130,510 tests puts this car on a 83.9% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 47,381 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.

For used buyers, the Tucson'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 20–32

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →

20–32

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

5,283 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

4,547 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
03

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

2,464 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2,341 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
05

Wiper blade defective

2,093 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

1,498 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

1,397 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

1,331 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
09

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

1,108 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
10

Parking brake inoperative on one side

1,099 occurrences · 0.6% 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

£180–£345

If every one of this Tucson'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 5.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Hyundai Tucson has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

87.0%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.0% — a 5.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 38,877 miles — roughly 27K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — 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

81.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 65,741 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.8% pass). That's a 5.2-point spread across 110,226 older tests and 83,954 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

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

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

Item 03 · 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

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 →

Recall history

8 UK recalls on record.

The Tucson has 8 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Tucson?

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 Tucson 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.