Used car guide · 2008–2020

Hyundai I800 common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Hyundai I800, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 24,299 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

24,299MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
7,824on the UK register
2010best 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).

2020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008

What usually goes wrong with a Hyundai I800?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Hyundai I800 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 I800 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.

  • Number plate lights

    up to 7.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

  • Sidelights

    up to 14× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

    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.

  • Headlight aim

    up to 6.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

    Rough price £20–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Park facing a wall at night or in a garage and check both headlight beams sit level. Aim is a cheap adjustment.

  • Rigid brake pipes

    up to 3.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    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.

  • Braking performance

    up to 2.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

    Rough price £100–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a quiet road, brake firmly from about 30mph. The car should stop straight without pulling.

  • Brake pads

    up to 1.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

Hyundai I800 MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2010 Hyundai I800 did best (56% passed first time, 4 points below all 2010 cars) and the 2018 did worst (65%, 18 points below all 2018 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202065%87% -22220 (small sample)
201970%85% -155,407
201865%83% -183,528
201765%80% -154,030
201660%77% -173,146
201559%74% -15451 (small sample)
201463%70% -7457 (small sample)
201362%67% -5621
201254%64% -102,811
201157%62% -51,527
201056%60% -41,277
200951%59% -8480 (small sample)
200856%57% -1344 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Hyundai I800

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

  1. Any recent work on the number plate lights? (Flagged at MOT 7.6× as often on the Hyundai I800 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the sidelights? (Flagged at MOT 14× as often on the Hyundai I800 as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the headlight aim? (Flagged at MOT 6.7× as often on the Hyundai I800 as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Hyundai I800?

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