Toyota Vitz MOT pass rate & common failures
6,731 MOT tests on the Toyota Vitz (1995–2025) give it an 87.7% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 21.2% of the time, so this is 8.9pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 10.4% of all tests — 5.7 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, linkage ball joint dust cover and headlamp aim — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 374 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.5% versus 9.4%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 6.2pp more often than hybrid ones (12.9% vs 6.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 15.2% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Vitz model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 46 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 44 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 38 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 32 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 71 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 201 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 356 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 327 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 1,158 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,470 | 87.5% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,025 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 428 | 93.5% | 6.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 179 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 107 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 288 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 380 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 217 | 85.3% | 14.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 143 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 110 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 702 |
| 2 | Suspension | 4.7% | 319 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.4% | 229 |
| 4 | Tyres | 2.6% | 174 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.8% | 124 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 61 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 58 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 20 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear fog lamp | 374 |
| 2 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 232 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 163 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 151 |
| 5 | Wipers | 148 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 139 |
| 7 | Ball joint dust cover | 105 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 103 |
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 | 15.2% | 1,024 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.1% | 748 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 7.2% | 485 |
| 4 | Brakes | 6.1% | 409 |
| 5 | Other defects | 3.5% | 236 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.5% | 167 |
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 | 1,183 | 9.4% |
| 30-60k | 3,365 | 10.9% |
| 60-90k | 1,591 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 345 | 19.1% |
| 120-150k | 145 | 24.1% |
| 150k+ | 98 | 26.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,047 | 12.9% |
| Hybrid | 670 | 6.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 342 | 14.6% |
| 2022 | 614 | 11.7% |
| 2023 | 1,253 | 10.4% |
| 2024 | 1,963 | 11.3% |
| 2025 | 2,559 | 13.9% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Vitz
- Lighting & signalling (10.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (4.7% 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.
- Visibility (3.4% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Toyota Vitz?
87.7% of the 6,731 Toyota Vitz MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.3% fail rate, across model years 1995–2025.
What does the Toyota Vitz most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.4% of tests, then suspension (4.7%).
How much does mileage affect Vitz MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.5% for 150k+, a 17.1-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Vitz more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 6.7% of the time against 12.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,731 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.