2015 Toyota Yaris — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 171,548 MOT tests, the 2015 Toyota Yaris recorded an 89.3% pass rate. That is 6.9 percentage points better than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 17.6%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.8%) and tyres (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, tread depth and wipers — headlamp alone was recorded 4,893 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.4% versus 5.9%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.3% fail against 13.1% for diesel, a 2.8-point gap across 114,692 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 11,651 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.7% | 8,019 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.8% | 6,532 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 4,446 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 2,934 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.4% | 723 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 4,893 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 3,902 |
| 3 | Wipers | 3,642 |
| 4 | Side repeaters | 3,119 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,824 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 2,727 |
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 | 24.0% | 41,196 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.8% | 28,729 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.8% | 16,904 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.9% | 10,094 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.0% | 6,858 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.0% | 5,139 |
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 | 38,414 | 5.9% |
| 30-60k | 83,179 | 10.1% |
| 60-90k | 37,158 | 14.7% |
| 90-120k | 9,456 | 16.9% |
| 120-150k | 2,255 | 17.9% |
| 150k+ | 1,079 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 110,355 | 10.3% |
| Hybrid | 56,821 | 11.3% |
| Diesel | 4,337 | 13.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,603 | 8.3% |
| 2022 | 33,998 | 9.3% |
| 2023 | 34,302 | 10.7% |
| 2024 | 34,537 | 11.9% |
| 2025 | 35,108 | 13.1% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Yaris
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.7% 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 (3.8% 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 2015 Toyota Yariss pass their MOT?
89.3% of the 171,548 2015 Toyota Yaris MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Toyota Yaris?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.8% of tests, followed by tyres (4.7%).
Does the 2015 Yaris get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.9% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 171,548 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.