DaihatsuUsed-car reliability
Here's how a used Daihatsu holds up at the MOT, model by model.
What actually goes wrong
The most common MOT faults across the Daihatsu range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on Daihatsu cars that recorded that defect.
A suspension ball joint, pin, or rubber bush is worn or has excessive play. These are the pivot points and flexible mountings that let the suspension move — wear causes knocking sounds and vague steering.
MOT wording: Suspension arm pin or bush worn, but not moving too much
A suspension spring is broken, cracked, corroded, or missing. This includes coil springs, leaf springs, and torsion bars. Springs support the car's weight — a broken one lowers one corner of the car and affects handling.
MOT wording: Coil spring corroded
The vehicle is leaking a fluid — oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic. A slight seep is common on older cars; a continuous drip is both a road hazard and a sign of something failing.
MOT wording: Oil leak, but not excessive
A rigid metal brake pipe is corroded, damaged, kinked, or leaking. These permanently fixed pipes carry pressurised brake fluid — any weakness is a serious safety concern.
MOT wording: Brake pipe corroded or covered in grease
Across all Daihatsu models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. The UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%) is shown for reference. Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Too old to rank
Too old to rank
Too old to rankAverages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.
