Toyota Iq MOT pass rate & common failures
98,554 MOT tests on the Toyota Iq (2008–2021) give it an 85.5% pass rate. City cars of a similar age fail 23.5% of the time, so this is 9.0pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
Best and worst Iq years
Ranked across Iq 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: 2014 cars pass 91.2% of the time while 2009 cars manage 83.8%, a 7.4-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.3%) and visibility (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, position lamp and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 4,182 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.4% in the 0-30k band and 23.2% in the 150k+ band, a 15.8-point spread — more than double.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 26.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Iq model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 89 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Visibility |
| 2009 | 36,936 | 83.8% | 16.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 21,872 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 14,450 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 13,191 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 7,337 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 4,566 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 63 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.3% | 8,158 |
| 2 | Visibility | 5.3% | 5,250 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.0% | 4,944 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.2% | 4,155 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.2% | 3,160 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 1,385 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.3% | 1,234 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 571 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 4,182 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,780 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,766 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 2,532 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,309 |
| 6 | Washers | 2,308 |
| 7 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 1,881 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 1,854 |
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 | 26.6% | 26,253 |
| 2 | Tyres | 22.6% | 22,275 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.7% | 14,502 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 7,388 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.5% | 6,380 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.3% | 6,174 |
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 | 11,434 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 34,320 | 11.9% |
| 60-90k | 31,413 | 16.2% |
| 90-120k | 15,088 | 18.9% |
| 120-150k | 4,614 | 21.7% |
| 150k+ | 1,666 | 23.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,679 | 12.7% |
| 2022 | 19,772 | 13.5% |
| 2023 | 19,866 | 14.3% |
| 2024 | 19,722 | 15.6% |
| 2025 | 19,515 | 16.3% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Iq
- Lighting & signalling (8.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (5.3% 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.
- Brakes (5.0% 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 Iq?
85.5% of the 98,554 Toyota Iq MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.5% fail rate, across model years 2008–2021.
What does the Toyota Iq most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.3% of tests, then visibility (5.3%).
Which Iq years are best and worst for MOT results?
2014 has the best pass rate at 91.2% and 2009 the weakest at 83.8%, from 4,566 and 36,936 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Iq MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.2% for 150k+, a 15.8-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 98,554 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.