2016 Toyota Prius — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 79,932 MOT tests, the 2016 Toyota Prius recorded a 92.1% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (13.8% fail rate), the 2016 Prius comes out 5.9pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.7%) and tyres (4.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and registration plate lamp(s) — tread depth alone was recorded 2,206 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.0% in the 0-30k band and 9.2% in the 150k+ band, a 4.1-point spread.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 14.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 4,574 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.1% | 3,286 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.9% | 2,320 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.4% | 1,931 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.0% | 1,581 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 278 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 2,206 |
| 2 | Wipers | 2,113 |
| 3 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 1,824 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 1,173 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 1,171 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 1,021 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 14.3% | 11,467 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.2% | 6,519 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.5% | 4,406 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.0% | 3,215 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 1,796 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 1,665 |
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 | 4,422 | 5.0% |
| 30-60k | 13,952 | 6.3% |
| 60-90k | 12,556 | 8.0% |
| 90-120k | 11,381 | 7.6% |
| 120-150k | 10,907 | 7.9% |
| 150k+ | 26,650 | 9.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 79,585 | 7.8% |
| Other | 170 | 11.2% |
| Electric | 131 | 9.2% |
| Petrol | 46 | 10.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,926 | 6.9% |
| 2022 | 16,005 | 6.9% |
| 2023 | 16,770 | 7.6% |
| 2024 | 16,487 | 8.6% |
| 2025 | 16,744 | 9.1% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Prius
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.7% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (2.9% 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
How many 2016 Toyota Priuss pass their MOT?
92.1% of the 79,932 2016 Toyota Prius MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Toyota Prius?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by tyres (4.1%).
Does the 2016 Prius get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.0% in the 0-30k band to 9.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 79,932 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.