Suzuki

Which year Suzuki Sj 413qb Ja Samurai is most reliable?

Based on 935 vehicles (1988–1989) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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The Sj 413qb Ja Samurai is a relatively young model with only 2 model years in our dataset. All years are closely matched — differences are real but smaller than you'd see on a model with 10+ years of data.
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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Best year in dataset
1988
Highest pass rate at 60.6% — the strongest performer across 388 Sj 413qb Ja Samurais
Below model average
1989
Lower pass rate than other Sj 413qb Ja Samurais — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1989 →
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Dataset
935
vehicles · 1988–1989 · millions of MOT records

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
1989
55.8%
547 Worst year
1988
60.6%
388 Best year

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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