Toyota C-HR MOT pass rate & common failures
The Toyota C-HR appears in 370,172 MOT tests spanning model years 1995–2025, and 92.3% of them passed. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 9.3% of the time, so this is 1.6pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst C-HR years
Ranked across C-HR 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2023 cars pass 97.2% of the time while 2016 cars manage 90.5%, a 6.8-point spread.
No single area dominates — visibility (4.8%) and lighting & signalling (4.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 18,436 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 4.8% in the 0-30k band and 13.5% in the 150k+ band, a 8.6-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — hybrid fails 7.6% of the time against 9.0% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 5.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 8.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every C-HR model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,672 | 90.5% | 9.5% | Visibility |
| 2017 | 76,639 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Visibility |
| 2018 | 100,887 | 91.6% | 8.3% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 77,595 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 53,271 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 37,903 | 93.8% | 6.2% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 19,645 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Visibility |
| 2023 | 1,470 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 69 | 98.6% | 1.5% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 4.8% | 17,736 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 15,767 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.5% | 13,018 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.1% | 4,035 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.5% | 1,921 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.2% | 729 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 318 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.1% | 329 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 18,436 |
| 2 | Headlamp | 10,217 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 6,879 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 4,366 |
| 5 | Washers | 3,393 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 3,350 |
| 7 | Reversing lamps | 3,161 |
| 8 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 2,010 |
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 | 21.3% | 78,770 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.4% | 34,970 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.2% | 22,791 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.2% | 11,778 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.3% | 8,486 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.3% | 4,818 |
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 | 151,405 | 4.8% |
| 30-60k | 161,201 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 44,458 | 11.9% |
| 90-120k | 9,520 | 11.8% |
| 120-150k | 2,398 | 12.5% |
| 150k+ | 1,181 | 13.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 321,536 | 7.6% |
| Petrol | 48,605 | 9.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36,255 | 5.7% |
| 2022 | 55,851 | 6.7% |
| 2023 | 73,746 | 7.7% |
| 2024 | 92,341 | 8.3% |
| 2025 | 111,979 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a Toyota C-HR
- Visibility (4.8% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Lighting & signalling (4.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.5% 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 C-HR?
92.3% of the 370,172 Toyota C-HR MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 7.8% fail rate, across model years 1995–2025.
What does the Toyota C-HR most often fail its MOT on?
Visibility, recorded in 4.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (4.3%).
Which C-HR years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 97.2% and 2016 the weakest at 90.5%, from 1,470 and 2,672 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C-HR MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 13.5% for 150k+, a 8.6-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol C-HR more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 7.6% of the time against 9.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 370,172 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.