The picture

Suzuki Splash: mixed MOT record across 23,240 tests

The Suzuki Splash is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 23,240 tests puts this car on a 71.7% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 59,188 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by worn suspension pin or bush.

Honest John owner records point to premature clutch wear and body corrosion, particularly on lower panels as the recurring problems to check before buying used.

The Splash's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 4–9

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 →

4–9

out of 50

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Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

1,333 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
02

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

1,069 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
03

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

920 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
04

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

830 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
05

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

713 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
06

Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

694 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
07

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

674 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
08

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

575 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
09

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

540 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
10

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

521 occurrences · 1.7% 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

£208–£605

If every one of this Splash'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.

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.

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My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Suzuki Silky Silver Metallic 12.5ml

£6.59

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equip

Equip ELF039 Suzuki Petrol and Diesel Locking Fuel Cap

£8.79

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Motor World

Motor World Suzuki Carry Van Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

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Motor World

Motor World Suzuki Grand Vitara SWB 1998-2005 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

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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

17 Aug 2015
ABS/ESC light came on in Su
11 Aug 2013
Report of needing new front discs and pads at 18 months old and 24,500 miles.
22 Jun 2013
1,252cc DDIS diesel showing the same DPF problem as in FIAT 500s, Corsas and Corsavans. If the DPF becomes partially blocked, excess fuel is fed into the engine in an attempt by the system to regenerate the DPF, but instead the fuel contaminates the engine oil, raising its level and unless drainec can, in extreme circumstances, lead to the engine running incontrollably on its sump oil.
8 May 2012
Possibity that ABS failure may not be the pump and may instead actually be ABS/ESP module brake pressure sensor failure. That can be fixed by various British companies such as Sinspeed for £225, but the module had to be removed and sent to them, then refitted afterwards. I'm surprised that the dealer did not know of this simple fix. More at www.sinspeed.co.uk Also www.ecutesting.co.uk
29 Jan 2012
ABS pump failures occurring at just over 3 years old due to internal corrosion of the pump caused by owners not having the brake fluid replaced every 2 years. Replacement ABS pump £1,700.
1 Jan 0001
One problem reported with the braking of an automatic version, unresolved after a year. One complaint of a stiff clutch.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 6 reports indexed

Recall history

1 UK recall on record.

The Splash has 1 official UK vehicle recall covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Splash?

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 Splash 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.