Used car guide · 2002–2009

Hyundai Getz common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Hyundai Getz, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 58,820 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

58,820MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
18,671on the UK register
2009best 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).

20092008200720062005200420032002

What usually goes wrong with a Hyundai Getz?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Hyundai Getz 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 Hyundai Getz 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.

  • Link ball joint covers

    up to 3.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints

    up to 3.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Rigid brake pipes

    up to 3.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Brake lights

    up to 1.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Sub-frame

    up to 2.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Wipers

    up to 2.1× usual

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

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

Hyundai Getz MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2009 Hyundai Getz did best (58% passed first time, 1 point below all 2009 cars) and the 2005 did worst (51%, 6 points below all 2005 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
200958%59% -11,057
200856%57% -111,936
200756%57% -113,352
200655%56% -111,127
200551%57% -69,165
200450%57% -77,815
200351%57% -64,019
200251%58% -7349 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Hyundai Getz

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

  1. Any recent work on the link ball joint covers? (Flagged at MOT 3.4× as often on the Hyundai Getz as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the drive shaft (cv) joints? (Flagged at MOT 3.3× as often on the Hyundai Getz as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 3.4× as often on the Hyundai Getz as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Hyundai Getz?

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