Used car guide

2023 Hyundai Santa FE: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2023 Hyundai Santa FEs, from 478 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

Small sample: only 478 of these were MOT tested in 2025, so treat the percentages as rough. The known faults below don't depend on it.

478MOT tests in 2025
93%pass first time (all 2023 cars: 92%)
10,200typical miles a year
5.9×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2023 Hyundai Santa FEs than on all cars registered in 2023.

  • Shock absorbers5.9× usual
    Hyundai Santa FE
    6.5% All 2023 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.8%, against 0.2% of all 2023 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

By area

The share of 2023 Hyundai Santa FE MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    22% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Suspension
    6% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    3% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    3% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    2% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20221,953Tyres 22%
2021930Tyres 23%
2020522Tyres 24%
20191,093Tyres 25%
20181,924Tyres 28%
20172,608Tyres 30%
20164,270Tyres 31%
20152,928Tyres 30%
20142,471Suspension 38%
20131,322Suspension 47%
20122,848Suspension 49%
20113,052Suspension 54%
20102,813Suspension 59%
2009532Suspension 59%
2008570Suspension 59%
2007890Suspension 58%
2006867Suspension 58%
2005531Suspension 59%
2004393Suspension 56%
2003246Lights and electrics 47%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2023 Hyundai Santa FEs registered in 2023. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score