All generations and engines together · 94,845 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 62k
Middling for its age among family hatchbacks, but one of the worst per mile driven. Watch suspension and steering. One to judge on its mileage rather than its age, and worth it only if its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
Owners of the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (mostly the 1.4 T-GDI) report the box losing drive momentarily at low speed, usually restored by lifting off the accelerator, and notchy, hesitant changes between 1st and 2nd or into reverse. It points to the mechatronic unit or clutch actuation, and Hyundai has not owned up to a pattern, though dealers have tried software updates on individual cars. Not seen on manual i30s.
Some 1.6 CRDi diesels go into active regeneration every 30-50 miles instead of every few hundred, which tanks fuel economy (owners report mpg falling from the 70s into the 50s) and points to a lazy sensor or a car mostly doing short runs. It is more a symptom of town-driven diesels than a factory fault, and there is no recall for it, but it is a real running cost buyers should budget for on high-mileage diesel examples.
What Car?'s reliability survey work places Hyundai itself near the top of the manufacturer table, but flags that the i30 specifically racks up more faults per car than a Focus or a Corolla, without naming which system is to blame. Owners on forums argue about whether this is real or just a reflection of Hyundai's shorter UK ownership history skewing the sample. Worth knowing before you assume Hyundai's brand reputation carries over one-for-one to this specific car.
Reviewers consistently note the i30's suspension is on the noisy, floaty side even when new, softer and more vocal over bumps than a Mazda 3 or Focus, which is exactly the kind of car that develops early clonks from anti-roll bar links, drop links and strut top mounts as bushes age. The measured MOT data for this segment backs it up too: suspension is the standout signature fault for family hatches generally, and the i30 fits that pattern. Typical fixes are drop links and ARB bushes, a few hundred pounds rather than a big bill.
At least one owner reported the lane-assist and AEB warning lights coming on at low speed, traced to a faulty forward-facing camera unit behind the mirror, with a dealer quoting around £3,000 for a like-for-like replacement (covered under warranty in that case). It is a single well-documented report rather than a pattern across many owners, but it is worth knowing the part is expensive if it fails once the five-year warranty has run out.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 33,000 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Family hatchbacks), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.