What are the most common problems with a Daihatsu Copen?

At MOT, rust around suspension or steering mountings is flagged more often than on other cars the same age.

What should I ask the seller before buying a used Daihatsu Copen?

Any recent work on the rust around suspension or steering mountings? (Flagged at MOT 3.9× as often on the Daihatsu Copen as on other cars the same age.) Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Used car guide · 2003–2009

Daihatsu Copen common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Daihatsu Copen, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 3,813 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

3,813MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model

1,648on the UK register

2008best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

What usually goes wrong with a Daihatsu Copen?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Daihatsu Copen in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Daihatsu Copen MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

Rust around suspension or steering mountings
up to 3.9× usual

Stands out on cars registered in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

Daihatsu Copen MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2008 Daihatsu Copen did best (76% passed first time, 19 points above all 2008 cars) and the 2007 did worst (71%, 14 points above all 2007 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

Year	Pass first time	All cars that year	MOT tests
2009	75%	59% +16	506
2008	76%	57% +19	788
2007	71%	57% +14	709
2006	60%	56% +4	414 (small sample)
2005	63%	57% +6	360 (small sample)
2004	65%	57% +8	777
2003	63%	57% +6	259 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Daihatsu Copen

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

Any recent work on the rust around suspension or steering mountings? (Flagged at MOT 3.9× as often on the Daihatsu Copen as on other cars the same age.)
Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Daihatsu Copen?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score