Suzuki
Alto
79,574 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Altos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.2 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
71.3%
Pass-after-fix
7.4%
Fail
20.8%
Avg miles
61,303
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Generations on file · 6
Suzuki Alto · UK market
1979–1984
1984–1988
1988–1994
1994–1998
1998–2005
2004–2009
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
Suzuki Alto: mixed MOT record across 61,526 tests
The Suzuki Alto is a kei car produced by Suzuki since 1979. The model, currently in its ninth generation, was first introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide.
MOT data from 61,526 tests puts this car on a 72.5% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 56,921 miles. The most common fail item is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated, followed by brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded.
Honest John owner records point to gearbox noise or CVT reliability as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
Buyers weighing up a used Alto should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 2–7
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. 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 →
2–7
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
5,000 occurrences · 6.3% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
3,709 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
- 03
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
3,453 occurrences · 4.3% of tests
- 04
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2,308 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 05
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2,149 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,995 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 07
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
1,888 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,861 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 09
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,722 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 10
Wiper blade defective
1,553 occurrences · 2.0% 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
£136–£400
If every one of this Alto'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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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.
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Parts & supplies for this fix
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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.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 16 Sep 2016
Complaint of exhaust resonance on three different Su
- 3 Dec 2012
Reports of engine/transmission mounting failures.
- 2 Feb 2011
Emerging problem areas include recurring wiper/washer problems. They keep breaking and water leaks onto drivers foot. Rattles from engine finally identified as engine mounts which also seem to fail regularly. One October 2009 car already on its third replacement mounts at just 7,500 miles.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 3 reports indexed
Recall history
6 UK recalls on record.
The Alto has 6 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping an Alto?
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 Alto 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.