Does the Toyota Corolla fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

The Toyota Corolla records 32.73 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 30.45 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.28, 95% interval +2.13 to +2.42). It ranks 211 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Toyota Corolla by registration

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Toyota Corolla is “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements”, recorded 34,728 times in 2019–2024.

Toyota Corolla: most frequent lamps, reflectors and electrics defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wording	Items	Per 100 tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	34,728	5.64
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective	33,665	5.47
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources	27,521	4.47
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	17,394	2.83
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	13,664	2.22

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 615,584 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

If a Toyota Corolla gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

32.5% of Toyota Corolla MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,647 miles later (25,647 advisories followed).

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 25,647 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

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Does the Toyota Corolla fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

If a Toyota Corolla gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

Related pages

Other pages for this model