2017 Toyota Proace — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 9,719 MOT tests, the 2017 Toyota Proace recorded an 84.0% pass rate. Against vans of a similar age (17.7% fail rate), the 2017 Proace comes out 1.7pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.6% of tests against 4.6% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are registration plate lamp(s), wipers and headlamp aim — registration plate lamp(s) alone was recorded 432 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.7% versus 9.7%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 21.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.6% | 1,128 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.6% | 450 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.4% | 426 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.3% | 423 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.7% | 358 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.2% | 314 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 432 |
| 2 | Wipers | 396 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 355 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 273 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 267 |
| 6 | Joints | 252 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 21.2% | 2,064 |
| 2 | Tyres | 20.4% | 1,980 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 8.5% | 821 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 7.7% | 752 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.7% | 646 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.1% | 597 |
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 | 858 | 9.7% |
| 30-60k | 3,193 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 2,829 | 17.5% |
| 90-120k | 1,714 | 18.7% |
| 120-150k | 752 | 19.1% |
| 150k+ | 369 | 21.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,996 | 13.8% |
| 2022 | 1,939 | 13.4% |
| 2023 | 1,948 | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 1,934 | 17.9% |
| 2025 | 1,902 | 19.3% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Proace
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.6% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.6% 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.
- Brakes (4.4% 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 2017 Toyota Proaces pass their MOT?
84.0% of the 9,719 2017 Toyota Proace MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Toyota Proace?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.6% of tests, followed by visibility (4.6%).
Does the 2017 Proace get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.7% in the 0-30k band to 21.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,719 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.