2012 Toyota Verso — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Toyota Verso passed 81.5% of its 18,348 recorded MOT tests. That is 4.2 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 22.7%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.9% of tests against 5.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, horn and headlamp aim — position lamp alone was recorded 1,770 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.2% in the 0-30k band and 22.8% in the 150k+ band, a 14.7-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 15.8% fail against 21.1% for diesel, a 5.3-point gap across 18,334 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 30.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 16.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 17.9% | 3,279 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.2% | 948 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.5% | 834 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.3% | 796 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.3% | 793 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 200 |
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 | 1,770 |
| 2 | Horn | 924 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 670 |
| 4 | Wipers | 592 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 571 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 460 |
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 | 30.9% | 5,679 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.5% | 5,053 |
| 3 | Suspension | 18.8% | 3,445 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.8% | 2,522 |
| 5 | Other defects | 12.1% | 2,220 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.3% | 981 |
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 | 577 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 3,233 | 12.8% |
| 60-90k | 5,719 | 17.8% |
| 90-120k | 4,447 | 20.8% |
| 120-150k | 2,210 | 22.4% |
| 150k+ | 2,159 | 22.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 9,380 | 21.1% |
| Petrol | 8,954 | 15.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,768 | 16.1% |
| 2022 | 3,787 | 17.8% |
| 2023 | 3,719 | 19.2% |
| 2024 | 3,566 | 18.8% |
| 2025 | 3,508 | 20.6% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Verso
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 17.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (17.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.2% 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.
- Tyres (4.5% 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.
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 2012 Toyota Versos pass their MOT?
81.5% of the 18,348 2012 Toyota Verso MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Toyota Verso?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.9% of tests, followed by brakes (5.2%).
Does the 2012 Verso get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.2% in the 0-30k band to 22.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 18,348 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.