MOT cost .

Hyundai

Sonata

804 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Sonatas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 9.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

65.9%

Pass-after-fix

7.1%

Fail

25.6%

Avg miles

87,521

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Sonata: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 804 MOT tests, the Sonata returns 65.9% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A split CV-joint boot and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 87,521, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    62 occurrences · 7.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    43 occurrences · 5.3% of tests

  3. 03

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    41 occurrences · 5.1% of tests

  4. 04

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    34 occurrences · 4.2% of tests

  5. 05

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    30 occurrences · 3.7% of tests

  6. 06

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    28 occurrences · 3.5% of tests

  7. 07

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    26 occurrences · 3.2% of tests

  8. 08

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    25 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  9. 09

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    24 occurrences · 3.0% of tests

  10. 10

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    24 occurrences · 3.0% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£98–£355

If every one of this Sonata's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Sonata?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Sonata and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.