Hyundai i20, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
160,602 Hyundai i20s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 72.6% of initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific i20? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Hyundai i20 at the MOT
72.6% of 133,064 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the i20 300th of 575 models. Hyundai i20s aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 59.7%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Hyundai i20 tests in 2025.
Where i20s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Hyundai i20 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (7.3%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (5.9%) and ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.4%).
The MOT page lists every common i20 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The i20's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.27.1% of i20 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.21.8% of i20 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.14.9% of i20 failure items
Hyundai i20s in the UK
160,602 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any Hyundai. The number licensed has grown 109% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +109%from 76,725 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 10,271against 15,071 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 3,5822.2% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Hyundai i20s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 76,725 |
| End of 2015 | 89,660 |
| End of 2016 | 104,213 |
| End of 2017 | 115,131 |
| End of 2018 | 122,560 |
| End of 2019 | 128,635 |
| End of 2020 | 130,255 |
| End of 2021 | 135,390 |
| End of 2022 | 140,688 |
| End of 2023 | 145,784 |
| End of 2024 | 151,563 |
| End of 2025 | 157,107 |
| End of June 2026 | 160,602 |
How old they are
Licensed Hyundai i20s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 74 were first used before 2009.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,712 | 10,271 |
| 2024 | 8,694 | 9,677 |
| 2023 | 7,732 | 8,045 |
| 2022 | 7,189 | 7,758 |
| 2021 | 5,979 | 6,226 |
| 2020 | 4,249 | 4,388 |
| 2019 | 7,376 | 7,708 |
| 2018 | 8,784 | 9,354 |
| 2017 | 11,757 | 12,662 |
| 2016 | 13,934 | 15,071 |
| 2015 | 12,733 | 14,177 |
| 2014 | 12,754 | |
| 2013 | 11,941 | |
| 2012 | 8,951 | |
| 2011 | 8,636 | |
| 2010 | 8,287 | |
| 2009 | 7,895 |
12,733 i20s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 90% of the 14,177 first registered that year.
i20 engines and fuel
1.2 litre engines made up 66% of Hyundai i20 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.4 litre at 16%. Petrol accounts for 86% of licensed i20s and hybrid electric for 11%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 133,062 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed i20s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 138,328 | 86% |
| Diesel | 5,151 | 3% |
| Hybrid electric | 17,118 | 11% |
| Gas | 5 | <0.1% |
Hyundai i20 recalls
3 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Hyundai i20. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every i20 is affected.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/272
The vehicle fuel pump may have an internal malfunction which may fail over time. In case of a fuel pump malfunction the instrument cluster warning light may illuminate and if ignored the vehicle may lose motive power
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- The affected vehicles will have the fuel pump replaced as a permanent solution.
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May 2024 R/2024/171
The subject vehicles may experience a transmission malfunction resulting in a loss of drive
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles they may experience a transmission malfunction resulting in a loss of drive
- Remedy
- On all affected vehicles the transmission control unit software will be updated
-
Feb 2021 R/2021/014
In the event of eCall trigger the VIN number information may not be sent
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The vehicle VIN information may not be registered correctly within the eCall unit.
- Remedy
- Register the VIN information within the vehicle by resetting the E-call unit and updating.
i20 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Hyundai models
The most-tested Hyundai models in 2025, against the i20's 72.6% MOT pass rate.
Hyundai i20 FAQs
How many Hyundai i20s are there in the UK?
160,602 Hyundai i20s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 3,582 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Hyundai i20 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 72.6% first-time pass rate for the Hyundai i20 across 133,064 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Hyundai i20 had any recalls?
3 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Hyundai i20. The most recent was published in September 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Hyundai i20?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Hyundai i20's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an i20?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Hyundai history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Hyundai VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.