Toyota Crown MOT pass rate & common failures
1,540 MOT tests on the Toyota Crown (1980–2025) give it an 89.9% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (22.1% fail rate), the Crown comes out 12.0pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 6.2% of all tests — 3.2 points clear of tyres, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, headlamp aim and catalyst emissions — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 52 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 0.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 10.8% once past 150k — 107.5× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 14.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Crown model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 40 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Visibility |
| 2000 | 107 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 100 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 130 | 90.8% | 9.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 87 | 92.0% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 60 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 39 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Visibility |
| 2006 | 84 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 64 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 123 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 58 | 94.8% | 5.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 41 | 95.1% | 4.9% | Visibility |
| 2011 | 53 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 35 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 32 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
| 2016 | 43 | 86.1% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 40 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 42 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 62 | 98.4% | 1.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 99 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 46 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.2% | 96 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.0% | 46 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.6% | 40 |
| 4 | Suspension | 1.9% | 29 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.8% | 28 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 19 |
| 7 | Steering | 0.7% | 10 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.5% | 8 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear fog lamp | 52 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 35 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 30 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 21 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 19 |
| 6 | Wipers | 18 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 18 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 17 |
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 | 14.8% | 228 |
| 2 | Suspension | 12.1% | 187 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.4% | 130 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.7% | 87 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 72 |
| 6 | Other defects | 3.1% | 48 |
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 | 31 | 0.0% |
| 30-60k | 227 | 6.2% |
| 60-90k | 419 | 9.1% |
| 90-120k | 455 | 12.1% |
| 120-150k | 222 | 12.6% |
| 150k+ | 186 | 10.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,311 | 10.6% |
| Hybrid | 211 | 7.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 223 | 9.0% |
| 2022 | 279 | 10.4% |
| 2023 | 306 | 8.2% |
| 2024 | 344 | 11.1% |
| 2025 | 388 | 11.1% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Crown
- Lighting & signalling (6.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.0% 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 (2.6% 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.
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 Crown?
89.9% of the 1,540 Toyota Crown MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Toyota Crown most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.2% of tests, then tyres (3.0%).
How much does mileage affect Crown MOT results?
Fail rates run at 0.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 10.8% for 150k+, a 10.8-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,540 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.