2016 Toyota Verso — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 19,946 MOT tests, the 2016 Toyota Verso recorded an 88.0% pass rate. That is 3.3 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 15.3%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.2%) and tyres (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, position lamp and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 682 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 19.5% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.1% fail against 12.9% for diesel, a 1.8-point gap across 19,929 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.2% | 1,445 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.3% | 1,047 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.7% | 737 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.1% | 627 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.2% | 436 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 164 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 682 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 590 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 465 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 400 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 351 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 289 |
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 | 25.6% | 5,115 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.9% | 4,369 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.2% | 1,844 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.0% | 1,797 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 1,180 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.7% | 738 |
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 | 2,467 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 8,735 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 5,155 | 13.1% |
| 90-120k | 1,898 | 16.5% |
| 120-150k | 760 | 17.5% |
| 150k+ | 930 | 19.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 10,815 | 11.1% |
| Diesel | 9,114 | 12.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,972 | 9.9% |
| 2022 | 3,983 | 10.4% |
| 2023 | 3,974 | 10.9% |
| 2024 | 3,985 | 13.2% |
| 2025 | 4,032 | 15.3% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Verso
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 7.2% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (7.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.3% 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.
- Visibility (3.7% 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 2016 Toyota Versos pass their MOT?
88.0% of the 19,946 2016 Toyota Verso MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Toyota Verso?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.2% of tests, followed by tyres (5.3%).
Does the 2016 Verso get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.4% in the 0-30k band to 19.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 19,946 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.