Toyota Yaris MOT pass rate & common failures
2,673,900 MOT tests on the Toyota Yaris (1993–2025) give it an 82.8% pass rate. That is 4.1 percentage points better than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 21.3%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and visibility.
Best and worst Yaris years
Ranked across Yaris years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2023 (96.9% pass rate); the weakest is 1999 (70.6%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.6% of tests against 7.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 112,952 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.0% in the 0-30k band and 29.0% in the 150k+ band, a 22.9-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 8.9% fail against 23.3% for diesel, a 14.4-point gap across 701,276 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Yaris model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 9,301 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 29,077 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 54,931 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 69,740 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 88,525 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 102,219 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 119,971 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 120,027 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 141,634 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 149,065 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 155,412 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 117,485 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 97,453 | 82.5% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 164,673 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 172,204 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 169,428 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 171,548 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 156,697 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 148,025 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 151,662 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 121,719 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 66,453 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 55,553 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 38,791 | 95.9% | 4.1% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 2,193 | 96.9% | 3.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 93 | 96.8% | 3.2% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.6% | 309,573 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.4% | 198,124 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.2% | 139,262 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.7% | 124,734 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.1% | 109,160 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.4% | 63,059 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 62,634 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 15,928 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 112,952 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 102,604 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 99,086 |
| 4 | Wipers | 95,956 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 78,262 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 62,750 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 60,422 |
| 8 | Washers | 58,208 |
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 | 24.7% | 659,360 |
| 2 | Suspension | 21.7% | 579,788 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.7% | 552,561 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.9% | 264,459 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.3% | 222,309 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.1% | 190,900 |
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 | 556,416 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 799,102 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 656,872 | 21.1% |
| 90-120k | 405,320 | 25.5% |
| 120-150k | 176,107 | 27.8% |
| 150k+ | 79,265 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,969,695 | 19.0% |
| Hybrid | 551,256 | 8.9% |
| Diesel | 150,020 | 23.3% |
| Other | 1,500 | 15.9% |
| Electric | 1,394 | 19.0% |
| Gas/LPG | 35 | 20.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 514,874 | 17.9% |
| 2022 | 525,367 | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 532,345 | 17.3% |
| 2024 | 539,075 | 16.9% |
| 2025 | 562,239 | 16.7% |
What to check before buying a Toyota Yaris
- Lighting & signalling (11.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.4% 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 (5.2% 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 Yaris?
82.8% of the 2,673,900 Toyota Yaris MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.2% fail rate, across model years 1993–2025.
What does the Toyota Yaris most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.6% of tests, then suspension (7.4%).
Which Yaris years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 96.9% and 1999 the weakest at 70.6%, from 2,193 and 9,301 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Yaris MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.0% for 150k+, a 22.9-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Yaris more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 8.9% of the time against 23.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,673,900 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.