2009 Toyota Urban/Cruiser — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2009 Toyota Urban/Cruiser passed 80.8% of its 7,360 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 25.4% of the time, so this is 6.2pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.5%) and brakes (8.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, wipers and headlamp aim — position lamp alone was recorded 358 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 24.2% once past 150k — 2.8× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 19.0% of the time against 20.1% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 33.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 18.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.5% | 773 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.7% | 639 |
| 3 | Visibility | 6.0% | 442 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 327 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.4% | 325 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.9% | 289 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 358 |
| 2 | Wipers | 318 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 278 |
| 4 | Washers | 213 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 204 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 203 |
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 | 33.3% | 2,448 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.7% | 1,818 |
| 3 | Suspension | 23.6% | 1,735 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 15.8% | 1,163 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.4% | 985 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.0% | 810 |
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 | 171 | 8.8% |
| 30-60k | 1,032 | 13.3% |
| 60-90k | 2,734 | 18.5% |
| 90-120k | 2,362 | 21.0% |
| 120-150k | 860 | 24.2% |
| 150k+ | 198 | 24.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,128 | 19.0% |
| Diesel | 1,232 | 20.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,553 | 18.5% |
| 2022 | 1,500 | 16.2% |
| 2023 | 1,505 | 19.6% |
| 2024 | 1,472 | 21.1% |
| 2025 | 1,330 | 20.8% |
What to check before buying a 2009 Urban/Cruiser
On a 2009 Urban/Cruiser, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 10.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (10.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.7% 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.
- Visibility (6.0% 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 2009 Toyota Urban/Cruisers pass their MOT?
80.8% of the 7,360 2009 Toyota Urban/Cruiser MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2009 Toyota Urban/Cruiser?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.5% of tests, followed by brakes (8.7%).
Does the 2009 Urban/Cruiser get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.8% in the 0-30k band to 24.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,360 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.