Toyota Auris MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 24 model years and 910,008 tests, the Toyota Auris passes its MOT 84.9% of the time. Against small family cars of a similar age (19.1% fail rate), the Auris comes out 3.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
Best and worst Auris years
Ranked across Auris years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 91.3% of 2018 examples pass against 77.1% of 2007 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.5% of tests against 5.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, stop lamp and wipers — position lamp alone was recorded 34,218 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 18.8% once past 150k — 3.2× the risk.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 11.5% fail against 19.6% for electric, a 8.2-point gap across 389,850 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 25.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Auris model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 382 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 72,833 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 75,825 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 69,033 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 59,282 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 57,683 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 50,856 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 79,668 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 98,135 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 98,529 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 87,897 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 78,019 | 90.5% | 9.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 75,741 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 6,058 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 38 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.5% | 104,476 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.5% | 50,197 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.6% | 42,085 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.5% | 40,712 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.8% | 34,478 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 10,430 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 10,338 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.7% | 6,143 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 34,218 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 30,303 |
| 3 | Wipers | 27,985 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 27,494 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 26,966 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 19,470 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 19,057 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 18,938 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 25.2% | 229,652 |
| 2 | Tyres | 22.7% | 206,361 |
| 3 | Suspension | 18.9% | 171,546 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.3% | 84,169 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 7.1% | 64,879 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.5% | 40,603 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 88,550 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 243,311 | 10.7% |
| 60-90k | 249,120 | 16.3% |
| 90-120k | 166,544 | 20.0% |
| 120-150k | 82,025 | 21.1% |
| 150k+ | 80,328 | 18.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 416,580 | 17.3% |
| Hybrid | 374,606 | 11.5% |
| Diesel | 90,241 | 19.2% |
| Electric | 15,244 | 19.6% |
| Other | 13,298 | 18.9% |
| Gas/LPG | 39 | 20.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 184,352 | 13.4% |
| 2022 | 185,576 | 14.3% |
| 2023 | 183,703 | 15.2% |
| 2024 | 180,888 | 16.3% |
| 2025 | 175,489 | 16.7% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Auris
- Lighting & signalling (11.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Tyres (4.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Toyota Auris?
84.9% of the 910,008 Toyota Auris MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.1% fail rate, across model years 2002–2025.
What does the Toyota Auris most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.5% of tests, then brakes (5.5%).
Which Auris years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 91.3% and 2007 the weakest at 77.1%, from 75,741 and 72,833 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Auris MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.8% for 150k+, a 12.8-point difference.
Is the hybrid or electric Auris more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 11.5% of the time against 19.6% for the electric. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 910,008 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.