2017 Toyota Prius — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Toyota Prius passed 93.3% of its 74,836 recorded MOT tests. That is 5.5 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 12.2%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.9%) and lighting & signalling (3.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 2,083 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2017 Prius fails 4.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 8.3% at 150k+, a spread of only 4.0 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 13.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 7.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.9% | 2,939 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 2,840 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.8% | 2,119 |
| 4 | Suspension | 1.8% | 1,310 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.5% | 1,114 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 219 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,083 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,940 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 957 |
| 4 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 906 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 884 |
| 6 | Rear fog lamp | 750 |
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 | 13.9% | 10,432 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.1% | 5,330 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.0% | 3,024 |
| 4 | Other defects | 3.1% | 2,341 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 1,662 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 883 |
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 | 7,062 | 4.3% |
| 30-60k | 17,557 | 5.6% |
| 60-90k | 14,574 | 6.7% |
| 90-120k | 11,374 | 7.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,609 | 7.2% |
| 150k+ | 15,603 | 8.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 74,724 | 6.7% |
| Other | 73 | 9.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,120 | 6.0% |
| 2022 | 13,906 | 5.7% |
| 2023 | 16,387 | 6.2% |
| 2024 | 16,421 | 7.2% |
| 2025 | 17,002 | 7.8% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Prius
On a 2017 Prius, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 3.9% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (3.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.8% 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 2017 Toyota Priuss pass their MOT?
93.3% of the 74,836 2017 Toyota Prius MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Toyota Prius?
Tyres, recorded in 3.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.8%).
Does the 2017 Prius get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.3% in the 0-30k band to 8.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 74,836 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.