2009 Toyota Land Cruiser — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,656 MOT tests, the 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser recorded a 78.0% pass rate. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (21.8% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (9.7%) and lighting & signalling (9.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, headlamp aim and position lamp — joints alone was recorded 140 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.7% of 30-60k cars fail, rising to 26.4% once past 150k.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 27.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 20.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.7% | 257 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.2% | 245 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.1% | 242 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.6% | 202 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 86 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 68 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 140 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 103 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 99 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 93 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 89 |
| 6 | Exhaust system | 75 |
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 | 27.9% | 740 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.3% | 724 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 19.3% | 513 |
| 4 | Tyres | 14.9% | 395 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 13.1% | 348 |
| 6 | Other defects | 11.0% | 291 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 174 | 16.7% |
| 60-90k | 472 | 18.2% |
| 90-120k | 686 | 20.7% |
| 120-150k | 638 | 23.4% |
| 150k+ | 659 | 26.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 2,584 | 22.2% |
| Petrol | 72 | 15.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 560 | 20.5% |
| 2022 | 543 | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 539 | 22.3% |
| 2024 | 535 | 23.9% |
| 2025 | 479 | 23.2% |
What to check before buying a 2009 Land Cruiser
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 9.7% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (9.7% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (9.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.1% 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
How many 2009 Toyota Land Cruisers pass their MOT?
78.0% of the 2,656 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser?
Suspension, recorded in 9.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.2%).
Does the 2009 Land Cruiser get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.7% in the 30-60k band to 26.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,656 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.