Toyota Hiace MOT pass rate & common failures
The Toyota Hiace appears in 45,481 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2023, and 76.9% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (26.3% fail rate), the Hiace comes out 3.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Hiace years
Ranked across Hiace 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 — 80.3% of 2008 examples pass against 73.8% of 2000 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.3%) and suspension (11.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, position lamp and wipers — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 4,740 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.5% versus 10.9%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 18.0% fail against 23.5% for diesel, a 5.5-point gap across 45,476 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 39.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Hiace model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 30 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 33 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 69 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 65 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 90 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1992 | 151 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 149 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 160 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 387 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 160 | 81.3% | 18.8% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 418 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 484 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 473 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 2,427 | 73.8% | 26.3% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 2,906 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 3,989 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 4,550 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 5,377 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 5,914 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 6,279 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 2,854 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 2,654 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 1,267 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 1,351 | 78.2% | 21.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 919 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 396 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 287 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 214 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 385 | 77.9% | 22.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 274 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 237 | 83.5% | 16.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 131 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 100 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 90 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 84 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 6,491 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.4% | 5,190 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.4% | 3,357 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.4% | 2,931 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 2,715 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 1,573 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.3% | 1,491 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.8% | 801 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 4,740 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,580 |
| 3 | Wipers | 2,418 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 2,023 |
| 5 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 1,830 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,692 |
| 7 | Chassis condition | 1,590 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 1,546 |
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 | 39.1% | 17,768 |
| 2 | Brakes | 28.5% | 12,976 |
| 3 | Tyres | 20.8% | 9,444 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.5% | 6,596 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 13.9% | 6,322 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.1% | 5,490 |
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 | 311 | 10.9% |
| 30-60k | 2,110 | 14.2% |
| 60-90k | 5,222 | 16.9% |
| 90-120k | 8,067 | 21.3% |
| 120-150k | 9,469 | 23.1% |
| 150k+ | 20,255 | 26.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 42,281 | 23.5% |
| Petrol | 3,195 | 18.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,724 | 23.2% |
| 2022 | 9,922 | 22.9% |
| 2023 | 9,095 | 22.6% |
| 2024 | 8,224 | 23.5% |
| 2025 | 7,516 | 23.4% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Hiace
- 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.
- Suspension (11.4% 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.
- Brakes (7.4% 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 Hiace?
76.9% of the 45,481 Toyota Hiace MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the Toyota Hiace most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.3% of tests, then suspension (11.4%).
Which Hiace years are best and worst for MOT results?
2008 has the best pass rate at 80.3% and 2000 the weakest at 73.8%, from 2,654 and 2,427 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Hiace MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.5% for 150k+, a 15.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Hiace more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 18.0% of the time against 23.5% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 45,481 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.