MOT cost .

Suzuki

DL

1,634 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where DLs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 14.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

89.9%

Pass-after-fix

3.6%

Fail

6.2%

Avg miles

20,052

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

The picture

Dl: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,634 MOT tests, the Dl returns 89.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-functioning shock absorber. Brake pads worn below 1.0 mm and headlamp aim out of spec round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 20,052, 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 shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    26 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  2. 02

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    19 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  3. 03

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

    10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  4. 04

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

    9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  5. 05

    A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  6. 06

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  7. 07

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

    6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  8. 08

    A wheel bearing with excessive play

    6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  9. 09

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

    5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  10. 10

    Brake control has insufficient reserve travel

    4 occurrences · 0.2% 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 4 failures

£108–£355

If every one of this DL'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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Build your own retest budget.

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

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

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

Item 03 · 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

Buying or keeping a DL?

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 DL 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.