2016 Toyota Avensis — MOT failures & pass rate
20,688 MOT tests on the 2016 Toyota Avensis are in this dataset, and 88.3% of them passed. That is 3.6 percentage points better than large family cars of a similar age, which fail at 15.3%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.5%) and tyres (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, brake pads and tread depth — headlamp alone was recorded 575 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.6% versus 5.1%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.2% fail against 12.2% for diesel, a 3.0-point gap across 20,653 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 1,128 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.7% | 974 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.7% | 769 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.8% | 572 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 401 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 368 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 575 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 530 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 502 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 455 |
| 5 | Wipers | 364 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 249 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 21.9% | 4,525 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.5% | 3,618 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.1% | 1,877 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.1% | 1,261 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 1,008 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 608 |
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 | 1,607 | 5.1% |
| 30-60k | 6,127 | 8.4% |
| 60-90k | 5,523 | 11.5% |
| 90-120k | 3,122 | 13.8% |
| 120-150k | 1,876 | 16.3% |
| 150k+ | 2,433 | 18.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 16,959 | 12.2% |
| Petrol | 3,694 | 9.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,171 | 9.0% |
| 2022 | 4,227 | 10.7% |
| 2023 | 4,214 | 12.2% |
| 2024 | 4,099 | 12.6% |
| 2025 | 3,977 | 14.0% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Avensis
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.7% 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.
- Brakes (3.7% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2016 Toyota Avensiss pass their MOT?
88.3% of the 20,688 2016 Toyota Avensis MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Toyota Avensis?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by tyres (4.7%).
Does the 2016 Avensis get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.1% in the 0-30k band to 18.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,688 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.