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1997 Suzuki Alto — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
34.6%
Latest Pass Rate
1,932
Total Tests (All Years)
56,472 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 20

This car: 34.6%
Average: 56.6%

⚠️ 22.0% below average (6824 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Suzuki Alto as it ages.

12 yrs41.9%
13 yrs40.9%
14 yrs37.9%
15 yrs43.8%
16 yrs40.5%
17 yrs39.8%
18 yrs47.1%
19 yrs44.6%
20 yrs34.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 20 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs41.9%489
13 yrs40.9%396
14 yrs37.9%317
15 yrs43.8%242
16 yrs40.5%168
17 yrs39.8%118
18 yrs47.1%85
19 yrs44.6%65
20 yrs34.6%52

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Suzuki Alto pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (20 yrs)34.6%52
2016 (19 yrs)44.6%65
2015 (18 yrs)47.1%85
2014 (17 yrs)39.8%118
2013 (16 yrs)40.5%168
2012 (15 yrs)43.8%242
2011 (14 yrs)37.9%317
2010 (13 yrs)40.9%396
2009 (12 yrs)41.9%489

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
41.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 489Avg Mileage 49,509Top Failure Suspension — 34.4%
2010High Fail Rate
40.9%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 396Avg Mileage 52,070Top Failure Suspension — 36.6%
2011High Fail Rate
37.9%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 317Avg Mileage 56,630Top Failure Suspension — 43.2%
2012High Fail Rate
43.8%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 242Avg Mileage 52,703Top Failure Suspension — 37.6%
2013High Fail Rate
40.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 168Avg Mileage 52,997Top Failure Suspension — 89.9%
2014High Fail Rate
39.8%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 118Avg Mileage 52,394Top Failure Suspension — 107.6%
2015High Fail Rate
47.1%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 85Avg Mileage 51,619Top Failure Suspension — 114.1%
2016High Fail Rate
44.6%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 65Avg Mileage 53,089Top Failure Suspension — 86.2%
2017High Fail Rate
34.6%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 52Avg Mileage 56,472Top Failure Brakes — 94.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Suzuki Alto, with age trends.

Suspension
70.9%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
61.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
37.3%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
25.7%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
23.5%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes33.7% (12 yrs)94.2% (20 yrs)
+60.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension34.4% (12 yrs)88.5% (20 yrs)
+54.1%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment30.5% (12 yrs)53.8% (20 yrs)
+23.3%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.4% (12 yrs)36.5% (20 yrs)
+20.1%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions18.2% (12 yrs)25.0% (20 yrs)
+6.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Suzuki Alto page →

About This Data

This page shows how Suzuki Alto cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,932 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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