2011 Toyota Urban/Cruiser — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 5,803 MOT tests, the 2011 Toyota Urban/Cruiser recorded an 82.8% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (23.1% fail rate), the 2011 Urban/Cruiser comes out 5.9pp better. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.7%) and lighting & signalling (7.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rigid brake pipes, position lamp and wipers — rigid brake pipes alone was recorded 264 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 18.7% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 17.0% of the time against 17.3% for diesel.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 37.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.7% | 504 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.6% | 442 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.6% | 325 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.5% | 261 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.1% | 181 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 146 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigid brake pipes | 264 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 220 |
| 3 | Wipers | 186 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 160 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 141 |
| 6 | Washers | 125 |
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 | 37.0% | 2,147 |
| 2 | Tyres | 25.8% | 1,495 |
| 3 | Suspension | 25.5% | 1,479 |
| 4 | Other defects | 12.5% | 726 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 11.5% | 668 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.4% | 311 |
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 | 201 | 12.9% |
| 30-60k | 1,225 | 12.7% |
| 60-90k | 2,248 | 16.8% |
| 90-120k | 1,482 | 20.6% |
| 120-150k | 496 | 21.4% |
| 150k+ | 150 | 18.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,621 | 17.3% |
| Petrol | 1,182 | 17.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,207 | 14.8% |
| 2022 | 1,217 | 17.2% |
| 2023 | 1,170 | 17.1% |
| 2024 | 1,128 | 17.7% |
| 2025 | 1,081 | 19.6% |
What to check before buying a 2011 Urban/Cruiser
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.7% of tests. Start there.
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.6% 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.
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 2011 Toyota Urban/Cruisers pass their MOT?
82.8% of the 5,803 2011 Toyota Urban/Cruiser MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Toyota Urban/Cruiser?
Brakes, recorded in 8.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (7.6%).
Does the 2011 Urban/Cruiser get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 12.9% in the 0-30k band to 18.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,803 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.