Hyundai Santa Fe
From 62,764 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Santa Fes fare better: 2021 models pass at 87.6% vs 63% for 2003.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning and a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 3,478 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 3,478 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 1,695 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,516 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,440 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 1,437 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,198 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 1,004 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 879 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 867 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 794 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 54.4% of Santa Fe failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 10.6% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £115.
The warranty question
A new Santa Fe passes its MOT 91.7% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 84.2%, a 7.5 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 74.3%. With an average repair bill of £115 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Santa Fe that's past its third birthday.
Fuel type matters
Diesel versions pass at 75.9% while Petrol versions pass at 65.5%, a 10 percentage point gap.
Hyundai Santa Fe on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 3,565 newly registered in the past year with 2,127 leaving, a net gain of 1,438.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 37,291 | 4,115 | +1,158 | -622 | +536 |
| 2025 Q2 | 36,828 | 4,042 | +917 | -466 | +451 |
| 2025 Q1 | 36,396 | 4,023 | +881 | -567 | +314 |
| 2024 Q4 | 36,086 | 4,019 | +609 | -472 | +137 |
| 2024 Q3 | 35,993 | 3,975 | +611 | -720 | -109 |
| 2024 Q2 | 36,178 | 3,899 | +116 | -540 | -424 |
| 2024 Q1 | 36,623 | 3,878 | +378 | -530 | -152 |
| 2023 Q4 | 36,852 | 3,801 | +498 | -316 | +182 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Premium Crdi | Diesel | 4,423 | 14% |
| Santa Fe Premium Se Crdi Auto | Diesel | 3,798 | 12% |
| Santa Fe Premium Crdi A | Diesel | 3,539 | 11% |
| Santa Fe Prem Blue Drve Crdi A | Diesel | 2,532 | 8% |
| Santa Fe Premium Crdi Auto | Diesel | 1,994 | 6% |
| Santa Fe Prem Se Bdrive Crdi A | Diesel | 1,943 | 6% |
| Santa Fe Ultimate Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,884 | 6% |
| Santa Fe Prem Blue Drive Crdi | Diesel | 1,840 | 6% |
| Santa Fe Ultimate Hev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,565 | 5% |
| Santa Fe Premium Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,322 | 4% |
| Santa Fe Premium Hev 2Wd Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,138 | 3% |
| Santa Fe Ultimate Hev 2Wd Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,060 | 3% |
| Santa Fe Prem Se B-Drive Crdi | Diesel | 920 | 3% |
| Santa Fe Premium Se Crdi | Diesel | 818 | 3% |
| Santa Fe Calligraphy Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 813 | 2% |
| Santa Fe Style Crdi | Diesel | 718 | 2% |
| Santa Fe Style Crdi Auto | Diesel | 655 | 2% |
| Santa Fe Cdx Crtd | Diesel | 620 | 2% |
| Santa Fe Calligraphy Hev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 555 | 2% |
| Santa Fe Endurnce Ed Bdr Crdia | Diesel | 540 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87.6% | a shock absorber which has negligible damping effect, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2020 | 91.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a shock absorber which has negligible damping effect |
| 2019 | 88.1% | a shock absorber which has negligible damping effect, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2018 | 87.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
17 earlier years
| 2017 | 86% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 84.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 82.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 76.7% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 74.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2012 | 68.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2011 | 66.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2010 | 67.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2009 | 69.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2008 | 66.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2007 | 65.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2006 | 64% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2005 | 63% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 65.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 63% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 64.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2001 | 60.5% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated, wiper blade defective |
Typical mileage
Half of all Santa Fes tested had between 103,083 and 147,836 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 128,863 median miles, the Santa Fe has 0.019 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Hyundai models
| Hyundai I10 | 77.5% |
| Hyundai I20 | 76.7% |
| Hyundai I30 | 72.6% |
| Hyundai Tucson | 84.5% |
| Hyundai Ix35 | 73.4% |
Common questions
What is the Hyundai Santa Fe MOT pass rate?
The Hyundai Santa Fe has a 75.6% MOT pass rate based on 62,764 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Hyundai Santa Fe?
The most common MOT failure on the Hyundai Santa Fe is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 3,478 failures. Other common issues include a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning.
How many Hyundai Santa Fes are on UK roads?
There are 37,291 Hyundai Santa Fes currently licensed on UK roads, with 4,115 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Hyundai Santa Fe at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Hyundai Santa Fe is 128,863 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 103,083 and 147,836 miles.
Buying a used Santa Fe?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 75.6% pass rate and an average repair bill of £115 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.