Toyota Avensis MOT pass rate & common failures
The Toyota Avensis appears in 439,468 MOT tests spanning model years 1990–2021, and 79.3% of them passed. That is 3.1 percentage points better than large family cars of a similar age, which fail at 23.7%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Avensis years
Ranked across Avensis 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 — 89.5% of 2017 examples pass against 72.8% of 1999 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 14.3% of all tests — 6.6 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and headlamp — position lamp alone was recorded 28,510 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.4% versus 6.7%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 20.4% of the time against 21.0% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 27.5% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Avensis model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 52 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1998 | 2,648 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 3,765 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 4,194 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 5,686 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 7,715 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 16,315 | 75.6% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 22,346 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 29,003 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 36,521 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 39,769 | 75.1% | 24.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 38,575 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 35,812 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 37,549 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 28,926 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 30,931 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 19,966 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 18,925 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 19,375 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 20,688 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 14,003 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 6,674 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 62,806 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.6% | 33,636 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.5% | 32,892 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.9% | 21,636 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 19,729 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 14,485 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 10,091 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.9% | 3,747 |
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 | 28,510 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 18,601 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 15,198 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 13,519 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 12,751 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 12,342 |
| 7 | Wipers | 12,335 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 10,990 |
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 | 27.5% | 120,707 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.8% | 117,565 |
| 3 | Tyres | 25.6% | 112,430 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.7% | 60,294 |
| 5 | Other defects | 12.2% | 53,658 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.9% | 30,251 |
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 | 8,160 | 6.7% |
| 30-60k | 45,183 | 11.5% |
| 60-90k | 89,025 | 16.9% |
| 90-120k | 107,776 | 21.4% |
| 120-150k | 84,224 | 24.1% |
| 150k+ | 104,996 | 25.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 228,645 | 20.4% |
| Petrol | 210,581 | 21.0% |
| Gas/LPG | 183 | 12.0% |
| Other | 32 | 21.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 108,442 | 20.3% |
| 2022 | 97,606 | 20.2% |
| 2023 | 87,811 | 20.8% |
| 2024 | 77,599 | 21.0% |
| 2025 | 68,010 | 21.4% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Avensis
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.6% 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.
- Suspension (7.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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 Avensis?
79.3% of the 439,468 Toyota Avensis MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.7% fail rate, across model years 1990–2021.
What does the Toyota Avensis most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.3% of tests, then brakes (7.6%).
Which Avensis years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 89.5% and 1999 the weakest at 72.8%, from 14,003 and 3,765 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Avensis MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.4% for 150k+, a 18.7-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Avensis more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 20.4% of the time against 21.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 439,468 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.