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What to check: Hyundai i30

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Ranked across all years of the Hyundai i30, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 8.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 4.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%

Handbrake holdRuns high on this modelStop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 3.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

Headlamp lensesRuns high on this modelCheck for condensation inside the headlamps and for cloudy or yellowed lenses. Both attract MOT trouble, and moisture inside a sealed LED unit generally means a whole new lamp.Recorded on 2.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

A binding brakeRuns high on this modelAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this modelGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 1.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Coil springsLook through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 27.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 14.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Drive the DCT car gently from a stop and through 1st-2nd a few times, including a reverse-forward manoeuvre.Any hesitation, a momentary loss of drive, or a notchy clunk into 1st or reverse suggests the mechatronic/clutch issue owners report.

On a diesel, ask the seller when it last did a full regen or a long motorway run.A diesel that's only ever done short trips is more likely to have DPF regeneration problems and a shortened filter life.

Listen for creaks and knocks from the front end over speed bumps and on full lock.Clonking from the front suggests worn anti-roll bar links, drop links or strut top mounts, cheap to fix individually but a sign of a neglected car if there are several at once.

Check the MOT history for repeated suspension advisories.The same suspension advisory appearing two or three years running means it's been ignored, not fixed.

Test the lane-assist and AEB warning lights by starting the car and watching the dash.A lit or flickering warning icon can mean a faulty forward camera, an expensive part to replace out of warranty.

Ask for full service history and confirm the DCT fluid/filter has been changed on schedule.Dual-clutch boxes are more sensitive to skipped fluid changes than a torque converter automatic; no record is a red flag on a high-mileage car.

Get a five-year-old-plus car on a diagnostic check before buying if possible.Stored fault codes for camera, DCT mechatronics or DPF sensors often show up before a warning light does.

Full Hyundai i30 reliability report