Toyota Noah MOT pass rate & common failures
3,434 MOT tests on the Toyota Noah (1998–2024) give it an 85.9% pass rate. That is 3.1 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 17.3%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.4% of tests against 5.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, wipers and headlamp — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 196 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 3.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.7% once past 150k — 6.0× the risk.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 4.7% fail against 20.5% for petrol, a 15.9-point gap across 3,425 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 18.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.0% in 2021 to 10.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Noah model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 33 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 55 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 70 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 56 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 60 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 115 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 83 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 109 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 159 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 72 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 81 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 57 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 348 | 87.1% | 12.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 417 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 379 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 296 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 306 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 298 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 225 | 88.0% | 12.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 150 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.4% | 393 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.2% | 178 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.4% | 117 |
| 4 | Tyres | 2.9% | 99 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.6% | 88 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 56 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.6% | 55 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.0% | 35 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear fog lamp | 196 |
| 2 | Wipers | 97 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 90 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 89 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 87 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 87 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 79 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 65 |
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 | 18.6% | 637 |
| 2 | Tyres | 15.1% | 517 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.9% | 376 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 337 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.2% | 214 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 127 |
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 | 303 | 3.6% |
| 30-60k | 819 | 8.7% |
| 60-90k | 966 | 14.3% |
| 90-120k | 616 | 18.0% |
| 120-150k | 399 | 20.5% |
| 150k+ | 327 | 21.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,035 | 20.5% |
| Hybrid | 1,390 | 4.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 390 | 20.0% |
| 2022 | 457 | 18.4% |
| 2023 | 585 | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 795 | 12.7% |
| 2025 | 1,207 | 10.8% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Noah
- Lighting & signalling (11.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.2% 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.
- Visibility (3.4% 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.
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 Noah?
85.9% of the 3,434 Toyota Noah MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.1% fail rate, across model years 1998–2024.
What does the Toyota Noah most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.4% of tests, then suspension (5.2%).
How much does mileage affect Noah MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.7% for 150k+, a 18.1-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Noah more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 4.7% of the time against 20.5% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,434 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.