MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Toyota Yaris — MOT statistics 2024

All Toyota Yaris variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 629,646 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index 95.6, 95% CI 95.2–96.0 (100 = national average) 100 95.6 60 160
Index
95.6
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
26.89%
n = 629,646
Dangerous /100
9
national ≈13
Diesel − petrol
+8.4 pp
fail-rate gap
Rank
11 of 25
lower index = better

This car fails its MOT about 4% less often than expected for its age.

Age-adjusted peer: Ford Kuga (index 91.3)— the two published results are 4.3 index points apart.

What actually fails

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Family vs national defect rates across 6 component groups This family National avg Lamps & electrical 25.6 Suspension 17.1 Brakes 11.4 Visibility 10.0 Tyres 7.0 Body & structure 6.7

family vs national — top component groups, per 100 tests

Component-group comparison table
GroupThis familyNational
Lamps & electrical25.623.5
Suspension17.119.9
Brakes11.414.3
Visibility10.012.0
Tyres7.010.3
Body & structure6.78.4
What failedper 100nationalratioCheck
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective3.971.712.33×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Strength or continuity of the load bearing…2.791.561.79×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a…3.302.561.29×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the…2.692.181.24×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down…3.412.991.14×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Spring or spring component fractured or seriously…2.372.720.87×Ask the seller about: A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…2.943.820.77×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated2.523.450.73×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Tyre seriously damaged2.273.290.69×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn3.686.030.61×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Suspension 52.9 Tyres 50.1 Brakes 42.4 Body & structure 9.2 Non-component advisories 8.2 Lamps & electrical 5.1
Advisory rates table
Groupper 100
Suspension52.9
Tyres50.1
Brakes42.4
Body & structure9.2
Non-component advisories8.2
Lamps & electrical5.1

How it ages

3579111315171950%car age, years

Takeaway: a 10-year-old Yaris has roughly a 24% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 16 it stays above the national age curve.

Data table
AgeToyota YarisAll cars
36.4%10.9%
410.4%11.6%
512.8%13.5%
614.6%15.6%
716.8%18.2%
816.9%21.3%
919.4%24.4%
1023.6%27.7%
1126.5%30.6%
1228.8%33.4%
1330.0%36.0%
1434.5%38.6%
1534.8%39.9%
1642.6%41.5%
1743.4%41.5%
1846.0%42.4%
1946.3%42.2%
2046.0%37.5%

Petrol, diesel, hybrid — which ages best?

Fail rate by fuel type: Diesel 39.6%, Petrol 31.2%, Hybrid 16.2%, Hybrid Electric (Clean) 6.6% 39.6% Diesel n=30k 31.2% Petrol n=429k 16.2% Hybrid n=128k 6.6% Hybrid Electric (Clean) n=42k
Fuel split table
FuelTests% failing
Petrol428,83731.2%
Hybrid128,10116.2%
Hybrid Electric (Clean)42,1216.6%
Diesel29,88239.6%

How severe are the defects?

Defect severity per 100 tests: Minor 18.3, Major 57.1, Dangerous 8.8 18.357.18.8 Minor 18.3 Major 57.1 Dangerous 8.8

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 24.4 · Major 63.3 · Dangerous 12.9 per 100.

Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100
Minor18.2624.38
Major57.1563.26
Dangerous8.8212.89

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 4.7 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

29.08% in month 1 J26.95% in month 2 F25.43% in month 3 M28.46% in month 4 A26.38% in month 5 M24.39% in month 6 J25.73% in month 7 J26.75% in month 8 A25.29% in month 9 S28.53% in month 10 O28.32% in month 11 N28.35% in month 12 D 31% 23%

bars: Toyota Yaris · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthToyota YarisAll cars
Jan29.08%27.37%
Feb26.95%26.14%
Mar25.43%24.75%
Apr28.46%26.01%
May26.38%25.01%
Jun24.39%25.01%
Jul25.73%26.04%
Aug26.75%25.79%
Sep25.29%25.19%
Oct28.53%27.13%
Nov28.32%27.2%
Dec28.35%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 8-year-old Yaris has ~43,759 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

369121518car age, years 127k mi 0

Does high mileage actually mean more failures?

Same age band (6–14 years), split by odometer — this separates wear from age: 13.5% of the lowest-mileage cars failed versus 38.7% of the highest.

<40k mi 13.5% 40-70k mi 22.7% 70-100k mi 31.3% 100-140k mi 36% 140k+ mi 38.7%
Odometer% failingTests
<40k miles13.5%104,501
40-70k miles22.7%119,672
70-100k miles31.3%61,383
100-140k miles36%24,328
140k+ miles38.7%5,476

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
311,99117,71525,37540,865
413,80520,79529,97730,863
517,20825,95536,75438,597
622,02232,29844,93938,635
725,83237,27651,74836,692
830,29943,75960,42638,023
935,67250,86669,04140,983
1039,38955,95575,66439,069
1143,94761,91482,70639,234
1248,45067,53989,34736,663
1351,26070,67192,62521,466
1456,98278,202102,16624,626
1557,42980,613105,23632,326
1667,77290,998116,98930,061
1769,09892,807118,73228,198
1871,52094,628120,51523,551
1966,28590,503116,93422,567
20+68,57693,294120,76064,126

Regional variation (raw rates)

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Halifax (HX): 37% failing, 1,142 testsKirkcaldy (KY): 35.2% failing, 2,192 testsDorchester (DT): 33.9% failing, 2,189 testsExeter (EX): 33.7% failing, 5,388 testsTruro (TR): 33.6% failing, 2,574 testsPlymouth (PL): 33.2% failing, 3,581 testsBournemouth (BH): 32.5% failing, 6,132 testsSlough (SL): 32.5% failing, 3,654 testsPaisley (PA): 32.4% failing, 1,638 testsHuddersfield (HD): 32.4% failing, 2,804 testsSalisbury (SP): 32.3% failing, 2,035 testsLincoln (LN): 32.2% failing, 2,441 testsOldham (OL): 32.1% failing, 7,247 testsTorquay (TQ): 31.7% failing, 2,740 testsPortsmouth (PO): 31.6% failing, 7,791 testsNewport (NP): 31.6% failing, 3,949 testsBristol (BS): 31.6% failing, 14,479 testsDundee (DD): 31.5% failing, 2,124 testsManchester (M): 30.9% failing, 17,351 testsSwindon (SN): 30.4% failing, 3,406 testsBath (BA): 30.4% failing, 5,526 testsBradford (BD): 30.3% failing, 10,899 testsWalsall (WS): 30.2% failing, 2,530 testsCardiff (CF): 30.2% failing, 9,847 testsBrighton (BN): 30.1% failing, 10,591 testsLondon SE (SE): 30% failing, 5,604 testsSt Albans (AL): 29.6% failing, 3,012 testsKilmarnock (KA): 29.6% failing, 2,635 testsCrewe (CW): 29.5% failing, 2,129 testsNorthampton (NN): 29.5% failing, 5,107 testsOxford (OX): 29.4% failing, 6,115 testsAberdeen (AB): 29.4% failing, 3,028 testsLondon W (W): 29.2% failing, 1,676 testsGuildford (GU): 28.9% failing, 7,731 testsEdinburgh (EH): 28.9% failing, 7,790 testsNottingham (NG): 28.8% failing, 10,383 testsShrewsbury (SY): 28.6% failing, 1,851 testsGloucester (GL): 28.6% failing, 5,444 testsCleveland (TS): 28.5% failing, 3,375 testsLeeds (LS): 28.5% failing, 7,568 testsLancaster (LA): 28.5% failing, 2,288 testsRedhill (RH): 28.4% failing, 7,766 testsLuton (LU): 28.1% failing, 4,307 testsInverness (IV): 28.1% failing, 1,883 testsNorwich (NR): 28% failing, 7,077 testsGlasgow (G): 28% failing, 9,103 testsSwansea (SA): 27.9% failing, 7,959 testsWatford (WD): 27.7% failing, 3,125 testsCoventry (CV): 27.7% failing, 7,082 testsYork (YO): 27.6% failing, 5,202 testsStevenage (SG): 27.5% failing, 3,643 testsGalashiels (TD): 27.5% failing, 1,032 testsNewcastle (NE): 27.4% failing, 7,461 testsTelford (TF): 27.4% failing, 1,705 testsTonbridge (TN): 27.3% failing, 9,872 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 27.1% failing, 3,791 testsTwickenham (TW): 27% failing, 7,692 testsBlackburn (BB): 26.9% failing, 7,349 testsTaunton (TA): 26.9% failing, 3,092 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 26.7% failing, 6,375 testsCambridge (CB): 26.7% failing, 3,906 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 26.7% failing, 6,336 testsWakefield (WF): 26.6% failing, 5,605 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 26.5% failing, 6,246 testsLondon N (N): 26.4% failing, 5,094 testsDarlington (DL): 26.4% failing, 2,334 testsBirmingham (B): 26.4% failing, 23,330 testsHarrogate (HG): 26.3% failing, 1,458 testsHull (HU): 26.2% failing, 3,508 testsLondon E (E): 26.2% failing, 7,889 testsPeterborough (PE): 25.9% failing, 8,316 testsSutton (SM): 25.7% failing, 1,567 testsWarrington (WA): 25.7% failing, 5,296 testsCanterbury (CT): 25.6% failing, 4,088 testsHarrow (HA): 25.5% failing, 5,410 testsBolton (BL): 25.4% failing, 9,621 testsIpswich (IP): 25.4% failing, 5,447 testsDurham (DH): 25.3% failing, 2,968 testsWorcester (WR): 25.3% failing, 2,441 testsPreston (PR): 25.3% failing, 6,416 testsColchester (CO): 25.2% failing, 4,123 testsReading (RG): 25.2% failing, 9,802 testsDumfries (DG): 24.9% failing, 957 testsFalkirk (FK): 24.8% failing, 2,242 testsDerby (DE): 24.7% failing, 8,359 testsRomford (RM): 24.7% failing, 4,226 testsMedway (ME): 24.7% failing, 8,016 testsCarlisle (CA): 24.6% failing, 2,993 testsLondon NW (NW): 24.5% failing, 8,925 testsDudley (DY): 24.5% failing, 3,336 testsSouthend-on-Sea (SS): 24.4% failing, 4,120 testsPerth (PH): 24.4% failing, 1,053 testsStockport (SK): 24.4% failing, 8,115 testsUxbridge (UB): 24.3% failing, 6,260 testsWigan (WN): 24.2% failing, 2,964 testsSunderland (SR): 24.1% failing, 2,062 testsChelmsford (CM): 24% failing, 5,138 testsChester (CH): 23.9% failing, 9,135 testsCroydon (CR): 23.8% failing, 6,060 testsLondon SW (SW): 23.6% failing, 4,103 testsSouthampton (SO): 23.5% failing, 6,475 testsHereford (HR): 23.4% failing, 1,557 testsLeicester (LE): 22.9% failing, 13,608 testsBlackpool (FY): 22.8% failing, 2,746 testsIlford (IG): 22.6% failing, 4,645 testsWolverhampton (WV): 22.5% failing, 3,175 testsLiverpool (L): 21.9% failing, 6,818 testsDartford (DA): 21.8% failing, 4,818 testsMotherwell (ML): 21.1% failing, 1,683 testsDoncaster (DN): 21% failing, 9,464 testsSheffield (S): 20.4% failing, 22,289 testsBromley (BR): 20.1% failing, 2,850 testsEnfield (EN): 19.9% failing, 6,314 testsLlandudno (LL): 19.7% failing, 7,032 tests % failing 21% 33%
Toughest areas% failing
Kirkcaldy (KY)35.22%
Dorchester (DT)33.9%
Exeter (EX)33.72%
Truro (TR)33.57%
Plymouth (PL)33.2%
Easiest areas% failing
Llandudno (LL)19.71%
Enfield (EN)19.91%
Bromley (BR)20.14%
Sheffield (S)20.36%
Doncaster (DN)20.98%

Quick answers

Is a 10-year-old Yaris a bad buy?
A 10-year-old Yaris has roughly a 24% chance of failing its MOT. Across 629,646 initial tests in 2024 the family fails its MOT about 4% less often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 95.6, where 100 = normal for its age). For a similarly sized published sample, compare Mercedes C Class MOT stats: 646,907 tests and index 83.6.
What usually fails on a Yaris MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective; a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn; the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements.
Are diesel Yariss worse?
39.6% of diesel tests found a failing defect vs 31.2% of petrol — a gap of 8.4 percentage points.
What mileage is normal for a Yaris?
For a typical 8-year-old Yaris, the median is about 43,759 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 30,299 and 60,426.
How often are dangerous faults found?
About 9 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial Toyota Yaris tests in 2024 (national average ≈13) — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Similar risk

Ford Kuga (index 91.3)Mercedes A Class (index 91.3)Mitsubishi Outlander (index 100.5)

Same size class

how Mercedes C Class compareshow Audi A3 compareshow Mercedes A Class compares

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Toyota Yaris MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/toyota-yaris/ · Published 2026-07-30.