Hyundai Santa Fe MOT Pass Rate
The Hyundai Santa Fe has an MOT pass rate of 77.4%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 6,714 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 266th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Hyundai Santa Fe is brakes, at 26.9% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- Hyundai Santa Fe MOT pass rate
- 77.4%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 6,714
Ranked 266 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Hyundai Santa Fe fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 26.9% | 56 | 3,757 |
| Tyres | 22.4% | 46.7 | 3,133 |
| Suspension | 17.1% | 35.6 | 2,387 |
| Lights and signalling | 10.9% | 22.6 | 1,517 |
| Other items | 6.3% | 13 | 873 |
| Bodywork | 5.1% | 10.5 | 708 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 4.2% | 8.7 | 583 |
| Fuel system | 2% | 4.2 | 285 |
| Corrosion | 1.8% | 3.7 | 248 |
| Steering | 1.3% | 2.7 | 181 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 1.1% | 2.2 | 150 |
| Electrical | 0.6% | 1.2 | 81 |
| Structure | 0.2% | 0.5 | 34 |
| Drivetrain | 0.1% | 0.3 | 19 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Hyundai Santa Fe holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | Santa Fe fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 12.5% | 13.1% | 1,550 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 21.6% | 21.7% | 2,882 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 29.1% | 28.3% | 1,659 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 35.3% | 31.4% | 615 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | Santa Fe fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 21.4% | 25% | 126 |
| 2003 | 20.4% | 25.3% | 98 |
| 2004 | 27.6% | 25.3% | 87 |
| 2005 | 25.8% | 25.4% | 302 |
| 2006 | 24.2% | 25.3% | 289 |
| 2007 | 28.4% | 25.2% | 422 |
| 2008 | 25.4% | 25.3% | 122 |
| 2010 | 29.3% | 24.5% | 800 |
| 2011 | 27.7% | 23.4% | 823 |
| 2012 | 27.1% | 22.6% | 844 |
| 2013 | 20.5% | 21.6% | 317 |
| 2014 | 22.7% | 20.2% | 542 |
| 2015 | 15.7% | 18.7% | 401 |
| 2016 | 11.9% | 17.3% | 605 |
| 2017 | 11.8% | 15.6% | 457 |
| 2018 | 16.3% | 14.7% | 227 |
| 2019 | 12.7% | 13.8% | 126 |
| 2020 | 20.3% | 13.3% | 59 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Hyundai Santa Fe MOT questions
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
On MOT results the Hyundai Santa Fe is worse than average: it passes 77.4% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 266th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 22.6% is 1.1 percentage points higher than the 21.5% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Hyundai Santa Fe usually fail its MOT on?
Across 6,714 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Hyundai Santa Fe were brakes (26.9%), tyres (22.4%) and suspension (17.1%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Does the Hyundai Santa Fe get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Hyundai Santa Fe fails 12.5% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 35.3% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 1,550 and 615 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Hyundai Santa Fe compare with the national average?
The Hyundai Santa Fe passes 77.4% of MOT tests, 1.7 percentage points below the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 266th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Hyundai Santa Fe
See the full MOT history of the exact car you're looking at, free.
Related reading
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe: 7-Seat SUV Family Guide
What Does 'Brake Disc Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Brake Disc Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Brake Disc Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Suspension Arm Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Suspension Arm Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Suspension Arm Bush Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Rear Suspension Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Other Hyundai models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 6,714 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/hyundai/santa-fe