All generations and engines together · 49,772 MOT tests in the 2025 data
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. 5,285 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.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.