Fault File
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Hyundai ix35

All generations and engines together · 49,772 MOT tests in the 2025 data

Reliability verdict
DBy miles

Graded against its peers

Worse than most small SUVs per mile driven. Watch suspension and brakes. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at 50-60k miles
23.2%
Across 3,093 tests. The average for small SUVs is 21.1%.

What owners report

Reported

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.

Clutch and dual-mass flywheel wear on the diesel manual

Emerging

Owners of the 2.0 and 1.7 CRDi manuals have reported clutch and dual-mass flywheel failures well inside what most buyers would call normal life, in one documented case at 37,000 miles and another at 62,000 miles. Hyundai's warranty cover is patchy here: in one case the dealer blamed a failed DMF for wrecking the clutch and Hyundai rejected the claim, leaving the owner a bill of over £580 even with a sympathetic dealer. Watch for a shuddering or slipping clutch, or a rattly, tinny noise from the flywheel area at idle.

Reported 37-62k miles · repairs roughly £500-900 · sources: Honest John reader reports (dated 2016)

Diesel DPF and EGR clogging, power loss and limp mode

EmergingDiesel only

Multiple owners of both the 1.7 and 2.0 CRDi diesels have reported the car dropping into limp mode with a sudden loss of power, traced to a blocked or failing DPF, a clogged EGR valve, or a waxed-up fuel filter in cold weather. Symptoms include fuel economy dropping sharply (one owner saw 48mpg fall to 35mpg) and repeated warning lights. This is mostly a car used for short runs rather than a manufacturing defect, but a forced regen, EGR clean or replacement, or a new fuel filter can still catch a buyer out unexpectedly.

Reported 30-85k miles · repairs from a few hundred pounds to over £1,000 for a new DPF · sources: Honest John reader reports (2015-2020)

4WD rear differential and hydraulic coupling failure

Emerging4WD models only

On 4WD ix35s, Hyundai specifies a fluid change for the transmission, transfer box and rear differential at 60,000 miles, and owners who skip it have reported rear differential and hydraulic coupling failures from around 41,000 miles onward. It shows up as odd noises or vibration from the back of the car, or the 4WD system behaving oddly. Ask to see an invoice proving the 60k service was done, because a failed diff on these can run into four figures.

Reported 41k miles onward, service due at 60k · sources: Honest John reader reports (2015-2019)

Air conditioning losing cold air on long journeys

Confirmed pattern

A recurring complaint, worse in hot climates, of the air con blowing warm after a period of driving even though the fan keeps running hard, caused by a sensor near the condenser freezing up. Hyundai issued a technical bulletin covering reprogramming the system and fitting a new probe, though several owners found dealers weren't aware of it and had to push to get it applied. Worth testing on a long test drive rather than a five-minute one.

Reported from 2014 onward · dealer fix under a technical bulletin · sources: Honest John reader reports (2014-2015)

Infotainment screen and Bluetooth glitches, especially once out of warranty

Emerging

Owners report the touchscreen, radio presets, sat-nav and reversing camera becoming flaky or dying altogether, sometimes needing a second replacement after already being fixed once under warranty. One owner was quoted around £2,000 for a replacement sat-nav unit after a free map update reportedly corrupted the system. A long-term press test car had similar Bluetooth and screen-freezing gremlins, cleared up by a software update, so it isn't just a one-off complaint.

Reported from new to out-of-warranty cars · replacement units quoted around £2,000 · sources: Honest John reader reports, Auto Express long-term test

Steering rack, track rod ends and rear suspension bushes wearing early

Partly in the MOT data

Owners describe a steering rack developing play and an occasional clunk, and track rod end gaiters splitting as early as 41,000 miles, both treated by dealers as wear-and-tear rather than warranty items. Hyundai also issued a dealer service update on early 4WD cars covering the rear trailing arm bolts. This lines up with what the measured MOT data shows for this class of small SUV, where suspension is the standout fault: it doesn't prove the exact same parts are at fault, but it backs up the general pattern of suspension components wearing faster than a buyer might expect.

Reported from around 41k miles · parts typically a few hundred pounds each · sources: Honest John reader reports (2011-2019), measured MOT signature data

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

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

Bushes and ball joints Drive 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 7.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get 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 4.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%
Handbrake holdRuns high on this model Stop 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 4.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%
A binding brakeRuns high on this model After 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 3.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With 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 3.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 3.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check 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 25.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look 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 19.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipers Scan 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 2.0%

Because of what owners report

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

From cold, pull away gently and feel the clutch bite, then try a hard, quick take-up. Shuddering, slipping or a rattly noise from the bell housing points to clutch or dual-mass flywheel wear.
Take it on a motorway or dual carriageway and accelerate hard through the gears on a diesel. Sudden power loss or the car dropping into limp mode suggests a blocked DPF, dirty EGR, or waxed fuel filter.
On a 4WD car, ask for an invoice showing the diff, transfer box and transmission fluid change at 60,000 miles. No record of it raises the risk of rear differential or hydraulic coupling failure down the line.
Run the air con on max for ten minutes or more, not just a quick blast. Cold air fading to warm mid-journey points to the known condenser sensor fault.
Pair a phone over Bluetooth, check the sat-nav loads, and cycle through every infotainment screen and the reversing camera. Freezing screens, dead presets or a non-working camera mean an expensive infotainment unit replacement once out of warranty.
Turn the steering from lock to lock at low speed and check the track rod end gaiters for splits. Clunks or play in the rack, or torn gaiters, are wear items dealers won't cover under warranty.
Pull the full MOT history and look for repeated suspension advisories rather than a one-off. Recurring suspension advisories match this model's measured weak spot and suggest a car that's been patched rather than properly fixed.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Hyundai ix35Class average, all tracked models

What testers flag

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.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 5,285 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
12.1%class 7.5%
A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
6.6%class 1.3%
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
Fail
4.1%class 0.3%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
3.7%class 0.7%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
3.0%class 2.0%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Fail
2.3%class 0.2%
Parking brake inoperative on one side
Fail
1.9%class 0.2%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
1.8%class 0.8%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
1.6%class 0.7%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
28.0%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
19.3%class 10.1%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
17.8%class 11.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
17.1%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.7%class 3.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
4.6%class 2.3%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
4.5%class 2.2%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
4.2%class 1.6%

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