Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 8,948 tests analysed

Hyundai i20 2012: reliability & common MOT faults

3,741 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2012 Hyundai i20 in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 i20 failed its MOT — 21.3% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

58.2%

of 8,948 first tests (2025)

First tests

8,948

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

3,741

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

58.2%

of 8,948 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

68.0%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

8,948

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 13.0 yrs · median mileage 73,152 mi

vs 2024: +0.1 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 3,741 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Ball joint dust cover (front) — 12.4% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 465 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 7.4× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Ball joint dust cover (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint dust cover
 Front 465 ×7.4 12.4% Strong
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 136 ×4.9 3.6% Likely
SRS malfunction indicator lamp
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > SRS malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 180 ×3.6 4.8% Likely
Service brake performance
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake performance
 Any 96 ×3.5 2.6% Likely
Anti-lock braking system
Brakes > ABS / EBS / ESC > Anti-lock braking system
 Any 151 ×3.5 4.0% Likely
Electronic stability control
Brakes > ABS / EBS / ESC > Electronic stability control
 Any 88 ×3.2 2.4% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 91 ×3.1 2.4% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 157 ×3.0 4.2% Possible
Position lamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Position lamps > Position lamp
 Front 795 ×2.3 21.3% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Side repeaters
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Side repeaters
 Any 29 ×5.7 0.8% Elevated
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 42 ×3.3 1.1% Elevated
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 453 ×3.2 12.1% Possible
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 33 ×3.0 0.9% Possible
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Plate brake tester > Service brake performance
 Rear 47 ×2.6 1.3% Elevated
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 199 ×2.2 5.3% Likely
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 174 ×2.1 4.7% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the i20 either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2012 i20, commonest first.

Other i20 years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2015 i20 +4.2 pp better 77.3% 12,299
2010 i20 +1.9 pp better 59.7% 8,409
2009 i20 -3.2 pp worse 56.5% 8,062
2013 i20 -3.0 pp worse 59.7% 11,739
2014 i20 -1.4 pp worse 67.2% 12,442

What to check on a 2012 i20

The items that failed 2012 i20 most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 21.3% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint dust cover (front) — recorded on 12.4% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 7.7% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 7.7% of failed first attempts
  • Visibility — Washers — recorded on 7.3% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 i20 failed its MOT — 21.3% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 58.2% of 8,948 first MOTs on the 2012 Hyundai i20 passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 68.0%. Among 3,741 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Ball joint dust cover (front) appears more often th…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2012 Hyundai i20s most often at the first attempt were Position lamp (front) (21.3%), Ball joint dust cover (front) (12.4%) and Headlamp aim (7.7%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answe…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Ball joint dust cover (front) (12.4% of those tests; 465 observed failures; about 7.4× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Ball joint dust cover (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (12.4% of those tests; 465 observed failures; about 7.4× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2012 Hyundai i20 include Ball joint dust cover (front), Service brake imbalance (rear), SRS malfunction indicator lamp. These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2012 Hyundai i20 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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