2017 Toyota Verso — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Toyota Verso passed 90.4% of its 12,735 recorded MOT tests. Against MPVs of a similar age (13.6% fail rate), the 2017 Verso comes out 4.0pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.1%) and tyres (4.8%) 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 477 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.0% in the 0-30k band and 20.4% in the 150k+ band, a 13.4-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.1pp more often than petrol ones (11.2% vs 9.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 7.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 774 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.8% | 610 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.6% | 463 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.4% | 302 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 150 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.4% | 47 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 477 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 309 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 242 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 228 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 224 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 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 | Tyres | 24.9% | 3,177 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.6% | 2,490 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.8% | 997 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.6% | 715 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.6% | 458 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.3% | 423 |
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 | 3,453 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 5,911 | 9.4% |
| 60-90k | 2,132 | 10.8% |
| 90-120k | 680 | 13.5% |
| 120-150k | 289 | 15.2% |
| 150k+ | 270 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 9,844 | 9.1% |
| Diesel | 2,873 | 11.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,491 | 7.1% |
| 2022 | 2,546 | 8.5% |
| 2023 | 2,567 | 10.1% |
| 2024 | 2,559 | 10.9% |
| 2025 | 2,572 | 11.3% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Verso
On a 2017 Verso, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 6.1% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.8% 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 (3.6% 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.
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 Versos pass their MOT?
90.4% of the 12,735 2017 Toyota Verso MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Toyota Verso?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.1% of tests, followed by tyres (4.8%).
Does the 2017 Verso get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,735 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.