Suzuki Alto common problems by mileage
What UK MOT testers flag on the Suzuki Alto at each age and mileage, compared with all cars.
In 50,210 UK MOT tests of the Suzuki Alto in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is service brake imbalance (across an axle): recorded on 10% of tests of 2005–2007 cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km), 20× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: joints (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) (11×); stop lamp (not working) (7.4×); rigid brake pipes (corroded, covered in grease or other material) (6.8×). The most common reasons a Suzuki Alto fails its MOT are stop lamp (not working); position lamp (not working); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively).
Last updated: · Source: DVSA anonymised MOT data 2023
What stands out on the Suzuki Alto
Parts that MOT testers flag clearly more often on the Suzuki Alto than on all cars of the same age at the same mileage (at least 1.5× the rate and 3% of tests).
| Issue | Type | First used | Mileage | Share of tests | All cars this age | Ratio | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle | MOT fail | 2005–2007 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 10% | 0.5% | 20× | 684 |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | MOT fail | 2005–2007 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 13% | 1.2% | 11× | 450 |
| Stop lamp: not working | MOT fail | 2014–2016 | 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 10% | 1.4% | 7.4× | 2,399 |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Advisory | 2014–2016 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 8.8% | 1.3% | 6.8× | 4,432 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | MOT fail | 2009–2011 | 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 5.4% | 0.9% | 6× | 3,847 |
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Advisory | 2014–2016 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 14% | 2.6% | 5.5× | 4,845 |
| Coil spring: corroded | Advisory | 2013–2015 | 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 12% | 2.2% | 5.4× | 4,886 |
| Position lamp: not working | MOT fail | 2014–2016 | 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 8% | 1.4% | 5.7× | 2,399 |
Suzuki Alto by mileage (2012–2014 cars)
The most-tested first-use years. For each mileage band: how many MOT tests, the most common item, and the item that stands out most against other cars.
| Mileage | Tests | Most common | Stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 2,612 | Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (14%) | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (9.5%, 4.3×) |
| 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 8,351 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (14%) | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (9.6%, 3.8×) |
| 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 9,021 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (19%) | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (14%, 4.9×) |
| 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 5,800 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (20%) | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (15%, 4.9×) |
| 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 2,568 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (19%) | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (16%, 5.2×) |
| 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 927 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (20%) | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (19%, 5.8×) |
Suzuki Alto by first-use year
| First used | Tests | Biggest stand-out issue |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 519 | Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (7.6×) |
| 2004 | 1,119 | Service brake imbalance: across an axle at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (11×) |
| 2005 | 1,309 | Service brake imbalance: across an axle at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (16×) |
| 2006 | 811 | Service brake imbalance: across an axle at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (20×) |
| 2009 | 5,546 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (5.4×) |
| 2010 | 4,582 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (6.4×) |
| 2011 | 4,653 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (6.8×) |
| 2012 | 4,780 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (6.2×) |
| 2013 | 11,940 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (5.8×) |
| 2014 | 12,981 | Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (6×) |
| 2015 | 1,828 | Stop lamp: not working at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (7.4×) |
How these numbers are made
From the DVSA anonymised MOT data for 2023: every normal MOT test of a car in Great Britain, with its mileage and every advisory and failure item. For each first-use year (pooled with the years either side) and 20,000-mile band we count the share of tests where a part was recorded, and compare it with the same share for every car of that age at that mileage. A cell is shown only with 300 or more tests. Advisories are tester notes, not failures. Figures describe UK-market cars; engines and equipment can differ in other countries.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA anonymised MOT data, 2023).
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki Alto?
In 50,210 UK MOT tests of the Suzuki Alto in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is service brake imbalance (across an axle): recorded on 10% of tests of 2005–2007 cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km), 20× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: joints (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) (11×); stop lamp (not working) (7.4×); rigid brake pipes (corroded, covered in grease or other material) (6.8×). The most common reasons a Suzuki Alto fails its MOT are stop lamp (not working); position lamp (not working); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively).
Why do Suzuki Altos fail the MOT?
Across 50,210 MOT tests in 2023, the most common failure items on the Suzuki Alto were stop lamp (not working) (6.9% of tests); position lamp (not working) (8.2% of tests); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) (4.2% of tests).
At what mileage do Suzuki Alto problems start?
The clearest Suzuki Alto-specific issue, service brake imbalance (across an axle), peaks against other cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) on 2005–2007 cars (10% of tests vs 0.5% for all cars that age).
Where does this Suzuki Alto data come from?
From the UK government's anonymised MOT test data (DVSA, 2023, Open Government Licence v3.0): 50,210 tests of the Suzuki Alto. VinSnap shows the same numbers for your own car's age and mileage in the app.