Used car guide · 1997–2003

Daewoo Lanos common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Daewoo Lanos, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 255 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

The 1998 Daewoo Lanos

Too few Daewoo Lanos cars first registered in 1998 had an MOT during 2025 for reliable MOT figures. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the Daewoo Lanos as a whole.

136on the UK register at the end of 2025
What to check on a 1998 car
  • MOT history

    Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.

  • Service history

    Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.

  • Finance and write-offs

    MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.

  • Test drive

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.

Other years

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).

2003200220012000199919981997

What usually goes wrong with a Daewoo Lanos?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Daewoo Lanos 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.

Daewoo Lanos MOT pass rate by year

Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
200060%61% -1146 (small sample)
199960%63% -3109 (small sample)

Looking at a Daewoo Lanos?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history 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