Toyota Hilux MOT pass rate & common failures
The Toyota Hilux appears in 421,011 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 79.3% of them passed. Pick-up trucks of a similar age fail at 21.1%, so the Hilux sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Hilux years
Ranked across Hilux 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: 2022 cars pass 90.2% of the time while 2004 cars manage 70.4%, a 19.8-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.5%) and brakes (10.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and rigid brake pipes — position lamp alone was recorded 19,650 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.7% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 20.7% of the time against 20.8% for diesel.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 22.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Hilux model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 30 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 30 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 65 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 152 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 214 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 465 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 367 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 460 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 595 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 581 | 77.3% | 22.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 753 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 913 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 1,411 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 2,253 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 2,191 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 4,569 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 4,137 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,925 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 4,125 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 6,340 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 7,141 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 9,930 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 8,083 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 7,643 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 12,891 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 14,113 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 12,561 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 17,160 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 25,439 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 25,654 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 26,302 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 31,087 | 78.8% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 35,256 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 27,433 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 29,419 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 31,357 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 23,516 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 16,895 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 18,392 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 6,899 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 206 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.5% | 52,810 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.4% | 43,691 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.5% | 35,563 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 22,732 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 18,819 |
| 6 | Tyres | 2.5% | 10,720 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 8,813 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.6% | 6,885 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 19,650 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 17,444 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 16,029 |
| 4 | Wipers | 15,923 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 14,994 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 11,551 |
| 7 | Coil spring | 11,435 |
| 8 | Rear fog lamp | 10,881 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 22.6% | 95,298 |
| 2 | Suspension | 17.1% | 72,168 |
| 3 | Tyres | 15.4% | 65,030 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.4% | 52,368 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.9% | 37,454 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.4% | 31,278 |
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 | 32,420 | 9.4% |
| 30-60k | 84,717 | 13.5% |
| 60-90k | 93,281 | 18.9% |
| 90-120k | 80,703 | 23.8% |
| 120-150k | 57,889 | 26.5% |
| 150k+ | 71,867 | 28.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 419,071 | 20.8% |
| Petrol | 1,935 | 20.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 78,262 | 21.1% |
| 2022 | 81,104 | 21.0% |
| 2023 | 83,046 | 21.0% |
| 2024 | 88,486 | 20.5% |
| 2025 | 90,113 | 20.3% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Hilux
- Lighting & signalling (12.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.4% 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.
- Suspension (8.5% 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.
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 Hilux?
79.3% of the 421,011 Toyota Hilux MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.8% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Toyota Hilux most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.5% of tests, then brakes (10.4%).
Which Hilux years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 90.2% and 2004 the weakest at 70.4%, from 6,899 and 9,930 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Hilux MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.7% for 150k+, a 19.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Hilux more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 20.7% of the time against 20.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 421,011 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.