Toyota Yaris MOT pass rate and common problems
Toyota Yaris models fail their MOT less often than other cars of the same age.
- Failed at the first attempt
- 27.3%failed at the first attempt in 2024
Average for cars of the same age: 30.4%
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 459,781 tests
Check a Toyota Yaris by registration
Toyota Yaris common problems: what should I check before buying?
The faults recorded most often at Toyota Yaris MOTs in 2019–2024, per 100 tests.
- Headlight lens or reflector worn3.55Minor
What to check: Look for cloudy, cracked or misted headlight lenses; a seriously damaged lens fails the test.
- Headlight aimed wrongly3.49Major
What to check: Shine the dipped beams at a wall after dark: both should sit at the same height.
- Broken or weakened suspension spring3.25Major
What to check: Look behind each wheel at the coil springs for a snapped end, and check the car sits level from side to side.
- Wiper missing or not clearing the screen2.97Major
What to check: Wet the screen and run the wipers: they should clear the glass in front of the driver without streaks or juddering.
- Worn suspension bush or joint2.93Major
What to check: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, feel for the car wandering under braking, and ask which part was replaced.
One test can record several defects, so this is not the share of Toyota Yaris models.
Each tip applies only if the car you are looking at has that fault in its own MOT history.
Check a Toyota Yaris by registration
Which Toyota Yaris years should I avoid?
2013 is the Toyota Yaris year that fails its MOT most for its age; 2015 fails least.
Fails more for its age: 2008, 2013, 2014.
Fails less for its age: 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019.
Years without published figures
- 2024, 2025, 2026
These registration years do not need an MOT yet. Ask the seller for the service history.
- 2021, 2022, 2023
Our figures end in 2024, before these cars had enough MOTs to compare.
Year means the year the car was first registered, as DVSA records it. It may differ from the year it was built.
How does the Toyota Yaris compare with similar cars?
3 of 8 similar models fail less often for their age than the Toyota Yaris.
This is a different comparison from the one at the top. There, the Toyota Yaris is measured against all cars of the same age. Here, it sits among similar models. Both can be true.
| Model | MOT Risk Index |
|---|---|
| Toyota Yaris | 89.8 |
| Ford Fiesta | 113 |
| MINI Hatch | 86 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 111.6 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 118.7 |
| Honda Jazz | 80.8 |
| Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 94.2 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 85.8 |
| Audi A1 | 93.1 |
How do Toyota Yaris models hold up as they get older?
First-time MOT failures on Toyota Yaris models go from 6.9% at age 3 to 45.8% at age 19.
| Age at MOT (years) | Toyota Yaris failed (%) | All cars failed (%) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6.9 | 12.4 | 26,890 |
| 16 | 42.4 | 43.1 | 22,425 |
| 17 | 43.5 | 43.1 | 20,966 |
| 18 | 45.5 | 43.9 | 17,236 |
| 19 | 45.8 | 43.5 | 16,528 |
Do advisories on Toyota Yaris models turn into fails at the next MOT?
30.7% of lights and electrical advisories on Toyota Yaris models turned into lights and electrical fails at the next MOT.
The next MOT came about 12 months later.
Based on 64,204 advisories, each followed to the car's next MOT, 2019–2024. This counts advisories, not cars.
The most common advisories on Toyota Yaris models are for tyres: 38.16 per 100 tests.
| Advisory | Failed next time (%) | Advisories followed |
|---|---|---|
| lamps, reflectors and electrics | 30.7 | 64,204 |
| suspension | 19.4 | 328,088 |
| body, chassis and structure | 15.7 | 89,040 |
| brakes | 12.6 | 361,180 |
| visibility | 12.3 | 2,066 |
What else should I know about a used Toyota Yaris?
- MOT pass rate, 2024
- 27.3% failed at the first attempt; after repairs at the test centre, 80.3% passed in the end.
- MOT tests counted
- 459,781 first tests in 2024; retests are left out
- Years first registered
- 1999 to 2020
- Fuel
- Petrol 69.2%, hybrid 25.9%
- ULEZ
- 82.8% likely to meet it, judged from fuel and registration date
- Typical mileage at 8 years old
- 43,871 miles
- Recalls
- 99 campaigns listed by DVSA
Toyota Yaris common problems: what actually fails the MOT?
Toyota Yaris MOTs fail most often on ‘lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment’: 21.9 per 100 tests, against 20.9 for UK cars of the same age (2019–2024, n = 2,615,955).
| Measure | Value (per 100) | Comparison (per 100) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21.9 | 20.9 | 573,512 |
| Suspension | 13.6 | 18.0 | 355,324 |
| Brakes | 10 | 13.6 | 260,890 |
| Visibility | 8.8 | 8.7 | 229,719 |
| Tyres | 6.3 | 9.2 | 163,602 |
What is likely to fail next on a used Toyota Yaris?
For Toyota Yaris models aged 3 to 5 whose last MOT was a pass, the item most likely to fail at the next MOT is visibility: 3.7% failed on it (2019–2024, n = 261,482).
| Measure | Value (% next fail) |
|---|---|
| Visibility, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 3.7 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 3.0 |
| Tyres, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 2.5 |
| Suspension, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 1.9 |
| Brakes, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 1.1 |
How often do Toyota Yaris models get a dangerous MOT defect?
The Toyota Yaris gets a dangerous defect less often than the UK average: 7.7 per 100 first tests against 11.2 across the UK. In the same tests, 49.5 major and 13.5 minor defects were recorded per 100 tests (one test can record several).
Severity was not recorded for some 2018–2021 tests.
| Measure | Value (per 100) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects | 7.7 | 2,615,955 |
Comparison: 11.2 per 100.
How much do Toyota Yaris MOT repairs cost?
Expected repair cost per Toyota Yaris MOT: about £76 (up to about £144 if more expensive parts are needed), from the chance of failing each item and its most common UK repair price (catalogue estimate, n = 459,781).
Computed, not measured.
| Measure | Value | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Expected repair bill | 75.8 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Estimated range lower | 75.8 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Estimated range upper | 144.0 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid) | 30.7 GBP expected contribution | 140 |
| Suspension: Suspension coil spring (single corner) | 24.5 GBP expected contribution | 180 |
What mileage is normal for a used Toyota Yaris?
At age 8, the median Toyota Yaris had covered 43,871 miles by its MOT; the middle half ranged from 30,336 to 60,438 miles (2024, n = 28,432).
| Measure | Value (miles) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 median | 17993 | 26,890 |
| Age 3 P25 | 12138 | 26,890 |
| Age 3 P75 | 25653 | 26,890 |
| Age 4 median | 20839 | 20,630 |
| Age 4 P25 | 13803 | 20,630 |
Do high-mileage Toyota Yaris models fail their MOT more often?
At ages 15+, 25.0% of Toyota Yaris models with under 40,000 miles failed first time, against 51.4% of those with over 140,000 miles (2024, n = 24,830). Inside this age group, higher mileage goes with more failures.
| Measure | Value (% failed first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3–5, <40k miles | 9.2 | 66,038 |
| Age 3–5, 40-70k miles | 17.7 | 8,385 |
| Age 3–5, 70-100k miles | 21.3 | 901 |
| Age 3–5, 100-140k miles (rough estimate: 165 tests, 95% interval 18.9–32%) | 24.8 | 165 |
| Age 6–9, <40k miles | 12.3 | 55,495 |
How many miles do Toyota Yaris models last?
16.3% of Toyota Yaris models tested had reached 100,000 miles, and 2.5% had reached 150,000 (2024, n = 426,175).
| Measure | Value (% of tested cars) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 miles | 16.3 | 426,175 |
| 150,000 miles | 2.5 | 64,340 |
| 200,000 miles | 0.3 | 7,516 |
Does mileage, as well as age, change the Toyota Yaris failure index?
Matched on annual mileage as well as age, the Toyota Yaris index is 98.1, against 90.9 on age alone (2019–2024, n = 459,781).
| Measure | Value (index) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age and mileage adjusted index | 98.1 | 459,781 |
Comparison: 90.9 index.
Which Toyota Yaris fuel type fails its MOT less?
Diesel Toyota Yaris models fail first time more often than petrol ones, before allowing for age: 39.3% against 31.3%.
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 39.3 | 22,202 |
| Petrol | 31.3 | 317,997 |
| Hybrid | 14.6 | 119,091 |
Comparison: other fuels.
Which Toyota Yaris engine fails its MOT least?
Among engines with enough tests, the best Toyota Yaris engine is the petrol 1.5–1.8 litre at index 85.3, and the worst the diesel 1.2–1.5 litre at 109.7, where 100 = the model's own average (2024, n = 459,781).
| Measure | Value (index vs model norm) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol 1.8–2.0 litre (rough estimate: 534 tests, 95% interval 69.1–99.4) | 83.2 | 534 |
| Petrol 1.5–1.8 litre | 85.3 | 6,531 |
| Petrol 1.2–1.5 litre | 96.9 | 1,554,843 |
| Petrol 1.0–1.2 litre (rough estimate: 925 tests, 95% interval 92.3–110.5) | 101.2 | 925 |
| Petrol under 1.0 litre | 105.3 | 454,531 |
Comparison: 100 = model average.
Where in Britain does the Toyota Yaris fail its MOT most?
Toyota Yaris fails first-time MOTs most in Dundee (DD): 40.4% against 29.2% across Britain for this model, both 2019–2024 (2019–2024, n = 7,141).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Dundee (DD) | 40.4 | 7,141 |
| Halifax (HX) | 39.4 | 5,849 |
| Kirkcaldy (KY) | 37.7 | 9,226 |
| Enfield (EN) | 22.7 | 20,473 |
| Bromley (BR) | 22.8 | 13,524 |
Across Britain for this model: 29.2% failed first time, also in 2019–2024.
Does the Toyota Yaris have rust problems?
Allowing for age, Toyota Yaris MOTs record corrosion failures at 1.9 times the national rate: 1.44% of tests against 0.77% (2024 + geographic layers, n = 458,590).
Computed, not measured.
| Measure | Value (ratio estimate) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Salt belt susceptibility | 1.9 | 458,590 |
Comparison: 1 ratio estimate.
What do six years of MOTs show about owning a used Toyota Yaris?
Of failed Toyota Yaris MOTs, 48.8% were retested the same day and a further 49.0% within 10 days; the median failed car passed its retest after 1 day (2019–2024, n = 499,069).
| Measure | Value | Comparison | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same-day retest | 48.8 % | failed initial tests | 499,069 |
| Retest within 10 days | 49.0 % | failed initial tests | 499,069 |
| Clean MOT streak | 40.6 % | observed chains | 459,052 |
| Repeat advisory | 32.8 % | observed chains | 459,052 |
| Decreasing odometer | 1.3 % mileage anomaly | observed chains | 500,928 |
Is low mileage good for a used Toyota Yaris?
Toyota Yaris models aged 5 to 14 doing under 5,000 miles a year failed first time in 18.8% of tests, against 33.2% for those doing 8,000 to 12,000 miles (2019–2024, n = 588,106).
| Measure | Value | Comparison | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-use first-time failure | 18.8 % | 33.2 | 588,106 |
| Low-use gap | -14.4 percentage points | 8–12k miles | 588,106 |
How many years do Toyota Yaris models last?
Toyota Yaris models tend to last: at ten years old the typical one has about 8.3 more years of MOTs ahead, more than the median model. This is a forecast from the survival curve and may not come true.
Computed, not measured.
Forecast, not a prediction for a particular car.
| Measure | Value (years forecast) |
|---|---|
| Age 5 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 12 |
| Age 8 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 9.5 |
| Age 10 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 8.3 |
| Age 12 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 6.7 |
| Age 15 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 3.6 |
How many Toyota Yaris models are still on the road as they age?
In 2024, for every 100 Toyota Yaris models tested at ages 4 to 6, about 51 were tested at age 19 (2024, n = 86,780).
| Measure | Value (% of age 4–6 baseline) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 | 99 | 167,584 |
| Age 4 | 96.5 | 163,428 |
| Age 5 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 171,890 |
| Age 6 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 172,662 |
| Age 7 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 171,893 |
If a used Toyota Yaris fails its MOT, will it fail the next one?
Toyota Yaris models that fail once are much more likely to fail again: 36.9% failed the next MOT after a fail, against 24.4% after a pass (test chains 2019–2024). The failure most likely to come back is steering: 40.5% of those fails recurred at the next MOT.
| Measure | Value (%) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat after fail | 36.9 | 192,427 |
Comparison: 24.4 %.
Which Toyota Yaris faults tend to come together?
On Toyota Yaris models, ‘body, chassis, structure’ and ‘noise, emissions and leaks’ failures turn up together 9.2 times as often as chance would predict (2024, n = 26,624).
| Measure | Value (lift) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Body, chassis, structure + Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.2 | 26,624 |
| Identification of the vehicle + Road Wheels (rough estimate: 81 tests, 95% interval 5.9–9.3) | 7.5 | 81 |
| Road Wheels + Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems (rough estimate: 169 tests, 95% interval 6.2–8.4) | 7.2 | 169 |
| Identification of the vehicle + Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems (rough estimate: 388 tests, 95% interval 6.4–7.8) | 7.1 | 388 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks + Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6.9 | 3,273 |
Comparison: expected joint rate.
Toyota Yaris safety recalls: how do I check this car?
DVSA lists 99 safety recall campaigns matched to the Toyota Yaris; check whether yours has been fixed, using its registration number.
Computed, not measured.
Recall effects are computed comparisons, not causal findings; campaigns are not linked to individual VINs.
| Measure | Value | Comparison | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns matched | 99 campaigns | DVSA register | 459,781 |
| Recall effect: R/2020/376 | 0.1 percentage points computed | comparison fleet | 459,781 |
How many Toyota Yaris models fail the MOT at each age?
Of every 100 Toyota Yaris models tested at age 5, about 13 failed the MOT first time; at age 10, about 24. These are one-year rates for different cars tested in the same year, not a fleet followed over time; the steepest one-year step in this cross-section is between cars aged 15 and 16, 7.64 percentage points (2024).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 | 6.9 | 26,890 |
| Age 4 | 11.0 | 20,630 |
| Age 5 | 13.0 | 28,008 |
| Age 6 | 14.9 | 28,095 |
| Age 7 | 17.0 | 26,975 |
What have US dealers been told about the Toyota Yaris?
NHTSA lists 314 US technical service bulletins for the Toyota Yaris (US market, Toyota YARIS, model years 2015–2018 only); a count, not a UK failure rate.
| Measure | Value (bulletins) |
|---|---|
| US service bulletins | 314 |
| Year 2001 | 1 |
| Year 2014 | 16 |
| Year 2015 | 50 |
| Year 2016 | 49 |
Comparison: NHTSA.
NHTSA, US market, Toyota YARIS, model years 2015–2018 only; covers 211 of 761 models. These two sections use US records from NHTSA. US cars sold under the same name can differ from UK ones.
What do US owners complain about on the Toyota Yaris?
The most common US owner complaint about the Toyota Yaris to NHTSA concerns restraints: 14 complaints (US market, Toyota YARIS, model years 2015–2018 only).
| Measure | Value (complaints) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Restraints | 14 | 14 |
| Brakes | 8 | 8 |
| Lamps & electrical | 5 | 5 |
| Body & structure | 4 | 4 |
| Engine (not MOT-tested) | 3 | 3 |
NHTSA, US market, Toyota YARIS, model years 2015–2018 only; covers 211 of 761 models. These two sections use US records from NHTSA. US cars sold under the same name can differ from UK ones.
Do Toyota Yaris models fail their MOT more in some months?
Toyota Yaris models fail first time most in November (31.1%, against 30.6% for all cars that month) and least in June (26.9%) (2024, n = 459,781).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Comparison (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30.8 | 31.1 | 220,008 |
| February | 29.2 | 30.0 | 222,504 |
| March | 27.6 | 28.3 | 279,563 |
| April | 30.5 | 29.8 | 130,683 |
| May | 28.8 | 28.8 | 156,093 |
What DVSA defect categories mean
- Dangerous: the car should not be driven until it is repaired.
- Major: the car fails the MOT.
- Minor: recorded, but the car still passes.
- Advisory: noted by the tester to keep an eye on; the car still passes.
How are these figures calculated?
We count first MOT tests only; retests after repairs are left out. Each model is compared with cars of the same age.
Which Toyota Yaris figures are missing, and why?
We have not worked this out for the Toyota Yaris yet.
- Real-world MPG against the official figure (manufacturer level)
Cite this page or report an error
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Toyota Yaris MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 24 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/toyota-yaris/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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More on the Toyota Yaris
- Overview:
- Model overview · All Toyota models
- Build years:
- 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020
- What fails:
- body · brakes · plates · lights · emissions · wheels · seat belts · steering · suspension · tyres · visibility
- Abroad:
- Finland · the Netherlands · Norway
- By area:
- Postcode areas
- Compare:
- Ford Fiesta · MINI Hatch · Volkswagen Polo · Vauxhall Corsa · Honda Jazz