Toyota Mr2 MOT pass rate & common failures
66,746 MOT tests on the Toyota Mr2 (1984–2024) give it a 75.3% pass rate. Against coupes & convertibles of a similar age (21.4% fail rate), the Mr2 comes out 3.2pp worse. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
Best and worst Mr2 years
Ranked across Mr2 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
The strongest year on this record is 1988 (81.1% pass rate); the weakest is 1992 (71.6%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Brakes dominates the failure mix at 14.8% of all tests — 4.7 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), catalyst emissions and parking brake performance — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 6,635 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 29.1% once past 150k — 3.0× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 27.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 26.0% in 2021 to 23.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Mr2 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 277 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Brakes |
| 1986 | 523 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Brakes |
| 1987 | 867 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Brakes |
| 1988 | 1,237 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Brakes |
| 1989 | 1,627 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 1,452 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 1,471 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Brakes |
| 1992 | 1,820 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1993 | 1,782 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1994 | 1,245 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1995 | 1,092 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1996 | 1,298 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1997 | 1,692 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1998 | 2,665 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Brakes |
| 1999 | 1,840 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2000 | 6,256 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 5,974 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 7,010 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 8,139 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 7,625 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 5,341 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 4,677 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 314 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 191 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 51 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 47 | 68.1% | 31.9% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 31 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 48 | 81.3% | 18.8% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 14.8% | 9,896 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.1% | 6,732 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 8.3% | 5,553 |
| 4 | Suspension | 7.7% | 5,149 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.7% | 2,450 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.0% | 1,992 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.0% | 1,988 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.5% | 1,012 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 6,635 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 6,405 |
| 3 | Parking brake performance | 3,159 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 3,098 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 2,849 |
| 6 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 2,677 |
| 7 | Wipers | 2,124 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 2,107 |
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 | 27.4% | 18,283 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.6% | 16,451 |
| 3 | Tyres | 16.7% | 11,142 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 11.1% | 7,379 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 9.7% | 6,485 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.1% | 5,428 |
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 | 2,006 | 9.8% |
| 30-60k | 9,449 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 19,866 | 23.8% |
| 90-120k | 19,654 | 27.1% |
| 120-150k | 10,687 | 28.9% |
| 150k+ | 5,025 | 29.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,277 | 26.0% |
| 2022 | 14,263 | 24.8% |
| 2023 | 13,286 | 24.0% |
| 2024 | 12,278 | 24.3% |
| 2025 | 11,642 | 23.9% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Mr2
- Brakes (14.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (10.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (8.3% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Mr2?
75.3% of the 66,746 Toyota Mr2 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.7% fail rate, across model years 1984–2024.
What does the Toyota Mr2 most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 14.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.1%).
Which Mr2 years are best and worst for MOT results?
1988 has the best pass rate at 81.1% and 1992 the weakest at 71.6%, from 1,237 and 1,820 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Mr2 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.1% for 150k+, a 19.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 66,746 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.