All generations and engines together · 41,030 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 12k
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. 40,397 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.
Several owners report the rubber engine and transmission mounts wearing out or failing early, causing a clunk on take-up and extra vibration through the cabin. One owner needed a third set of mounts by 7,500 miles, and similar reports have surfaced across the model's life. No manufacturer acknowledgement or TSB has been found for this, so treat it as a known weak point rather than a confirmed defect. Parts and labour for a set of mounts typically run to a few hundred pounds.
A recurring complaint is the wiper/washer mechanism failing and water finding its way in through the linkage, leaving the driver's footwell carpet damp. Owners describe having to replace the wiper motor or linkage more than once over ownership. It is a nuisance and a potential cause of electrical dampness rather than a big-ticket repair, with parts typically in the tens of pounds plus fitting.
Some owners note a resonant exhaust note and a feeling of reduced power when driving in wet conditions, which Honest John's own write-up ties tentatively to the same worn engine/transmission mounts rather than the exhaust itself. Because the source can't be pinned down definitively, and only a handful of owners mention it, this sits as a disputed rather than settled fault. Worth a test drive on a wet day before you buy.
Auto Express's long-term test of the Alto turned up what the testers called a 'mystery noise' that wasn't fully diagnosed, and trim/dash rattles are a common complaint on cheap, lightly-built city cars generally as they age. It's rarely expensive to fix but can take a few attempts to track down, and used buyers should expect some by higher mileages.
The 1.0-litre three-cylinder is repeatedly described in reviews as 'thrummy' next to rivals like the Hyundai i10, and some vibration and coarseness at idle and low revs is simply how the engine is. Buyers unfamiliar with three-cylinder engines sometimes assume this points to a mechanical problem when it's normal character, so it's worth a test drive to know what's typical before assuming a fault.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (City cars), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.