Suzuki
66,572 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Sx4s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.9 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
75.6%
Pass-after-fix
4.4%
Fail
19.7%
Avg miles
71,418
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 66,560 tests
Pass rate climbs 15.8 points across the cohorts — newer Sx4 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
74.0%
Fail
21.1%
PRS
4.5%
Avg mileage at test
75,599 mi
Pass
89.8%
Fail
6.7%
PRS
3.3%
Avg mileage at test
33,879 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 3
Suzuki Sx4 · UK market
2006–2014
2013–2021
2021–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Suzuki SX4 posts 75.7% first-time pass from 50,170 tests at an average presenting mileage of 80,312. Top failures are suspension pin and bush wear, tyre tread and rear plate lamp faults. The SX4 (2006-2014) and S-Cross (2013 onwards) share similar platform characteristics; at 80,000 average miles, front MacPherson strut bushes and rear trailing arm bushes show consistent wear. The Allgrip four-wheel-drive system doesn't contribute significantly to the failure data at this mileage. At 75.7% and broadly in line with the fleet average, the SX4 is a reasonable used prospect. Pre-test: check front and rear suspension bush condition.
ABI Insurance Group
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 →
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,185 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
2,110 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,956 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,779 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,674 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
1,330 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
1,264 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,076 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,059 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
978 occurrences · 1.5% 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 5 failures
£268–£700
If every one of this Sx4'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 15.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Suzuki Sx4 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.8% — a 15.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 33,879 miles — roughly 42K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, blade defective — 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
74.0%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: excessively corroded, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 75,599 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.0% pass). That's a 15.8-point spread across 59,913 older tests and 6,647 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
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 02 · 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
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.
Owner reports · Honest John
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
The Suzuki SX4 is a compact crossover available in front- or all-wheel drive. The Fiat-derived 1.6-litre petrol engine is reliable; the 1.9-litre diesel from Fiat is also proven. Practical and economical.
Recall history
The Sx4 has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Sx4 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.
