Toyota Estima MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 34 model years and 87,705 tests, the Toyota Estima passes its MOT 85.3% of the time. Against MPVs of a similar age (21.9% fail rate), the Estima comes out 7.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and visibility.
Best and worst Estima years
Ranked across Estima 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 — 88.4% of 2012 examples pass against 77.0% of 2005 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.6% of all tests — 6.9 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, headlamp and position lamp — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 4,197 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.5% in the 0-30k band and 22.2% in the 150k+ band, a 15.7-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 16.3pp more often than hybrid ones (27.4% vs 11.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 23.1% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Estima model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 42 | 64.3% | 35.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 30 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 61 | 68.8% | 31.1% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 49 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 61 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 137 | 66.4% | 33.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 149 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 414 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 722 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 1,113 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,136 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 4,354 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 4,925 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 6,402 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 7,191 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 7,698 | 86.5% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 5,571 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 6,724 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 6,369 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 5,441 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 4,463 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 5,476 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 4,535 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 3,713 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 4,433 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 3,632 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 2,493 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 216 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 87 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.6% | 11,080 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.7% | 5,024 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.6% | 3,200 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 2,984 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.2% | 2,841 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.8% | 1,550 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.7% | 1,515 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.7% | 620 |
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 | 4,197 |
| 2 | Headlamp | 3,619 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 3,579 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,941 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 2,639 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 2,275 |
| 7 | Wipers | 2,211 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 2,034 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 23.1% | 20,267 |
| 2 | Tyres | 18.3% | 16,043 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.5% | 13,586 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 11.8% | 10,389 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.7% | 7,639 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.8% | 4,235 |
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 | 1,256 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 11,849 | 8.5% |
| 60-90k | 31,077 | 11.9% |
| 90-120k | 21,563 | 16.2% |
| 120-150k | 11,183 | 19.9% |
| 150k+ | 10,657 | 22.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 53,702 | 16.5% |
| Hybrid | 31,326 | 11.1% |
| Diesel | 1,573 | 27.4% |
| Electric | 483 | 14.1% |
| Gas/LPG | 387 | 14.2% |
| Other | 234 | 9.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,098 | 15.0% |
| 2022 | 15,606 | 14.8% |
| 2023 | 18,317 | 14.5% |
| 2024 | 20,258 | 14.7% |
| 2025 | 21,426 | 14.7% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Estima
- Lighting & signalling (12.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.7% 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.
- Visibility (3.6% 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.
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 Estima?
85.3% of the 87,705 Toyota Estima MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.7% fail rate, across model years 1992–2025.
What does the Toyota Estima most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.6% of tests, then suspension (5.7%).
Which Estima years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 88.4% and 2005 the weakest at 77.0%, from 6,724 and 1,136 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Estima MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.2% for 150k+, a 15.7-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Estima more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 11.1% of the time against 27.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 87,705 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.