Toyota Yaris Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Toyota Yaris fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 691,442 MOT tests across 24 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: small family car | Fuel: Petrol, Hybrid, Diesel
82%
Toyota Yaris pass rate
84%
Toyota average
82%
All-model average
The Toyota Yaris has an average MOT pass rate of 82%, which is 2 points below the Toyota average and equal to the average across all models in our data. Newer Toyota Yariss pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 15 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Toyota Yaris Fails Its MOT On
Of the 122,566 MOT tests on the Toyota Yaris that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
49%Cars and vans the same age: 42% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
34%Cars and vans the same age: 36% · Typical repair £150-£600
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
20%Cars and vans the same age: 16% (the Yaris fails on this more often) · Typical repair £10-£350
Brakes
19%Cars and vans the same age: 24% (the Yaris fails on this less often) · Typical repair £80-£450
Tyres
17%Cars and vans the same age: 20% · Typical repair £50-£300
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Position lamp: not working (14% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Coil spring: fractured or broken (12% of failed tests, suspension)
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively (9.9% of failed tests, windscreen, wipers and mirrors)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Toyota Yaris Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Yaris year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Toyota Yaris Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hybrid | 1.5L | 98% | 0% | - |
| 2021 | Hybrid | 1.5L | 95% | 5% | - |
| 2020 | Petrol | 1.5L | 94% | 6% | 92% (+2) |
| 2019 | Hybrid | 1.5L | 93% | 7% | 91% (+2) |
| 2018 | Hybrid | 1.3L | 91% | 9% | 89% (+2) |
| 2017 | Petrol | 1.3L | 89% | 11% | 87% (+2) |
| 2016 | Petrol | 1.3L | 89% | 10% | 86% (+3) |
| 2015 | Petrol | 1.3L | 88% | 12% | 84% (+4) |
| 2014 | Petrol | 1.3L | 85% | 15% | 82% (+3) |
| 2013 | Petrol | 1.3L | 84% | 16% | 80% (+4) |
| 2012 | Petrol | 1.3L | 83% | 17% | 79% (+4) |
| 2011 | Petrol | 1.3L | 82% | 17% | 77% (+5) |
| 2010 | Diesel | 1.4L | 79% | 21% | 75% (+4) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 1.4L | 79% | 20% | 75% (+4) |
| 2008 | Diesel | 1.4L | 75% | 24% | 74% (+1) |
| 2007 | Petrol | 1.8L | 75% | 25% | 73% (+2) |
| 2006 | Diesel | 1.4L | 73% | 26% | 73% (0) |
| 2005 | Petrol | 1.3L | 73% | 27% | 73% (0) |
| 2004 | Petrol | 1.3L | 72% | 27% | 72% (0) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 1.3L | 72% | 27% | 72% (0) |
| 2002 | Petrol | 1.3L | 72% | 27% | 73% (-1) |
| 2001 | Petrol | 1.3L | 71% | 28% | 73% (-2) |
| 2000 | Petrol | 1.3L | 70% | 29% | 74% (-4) |
| 1999 | Petrol | 1.3L | 68% | 30% | 75% (-7) |
Toyota Yaris Running Costs
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Toyota Yaris FAQ
What are the most common Toyota Yaris problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Toyota Yaris that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (49% of the 122,566 failed tests), suspension (34%) and windscreen, wipers and mirrors (20%). The single most common fault was "Position lamp: not working" (14%). Across 691,442 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 82% ended in a pass.
Is the Toyota Yaris reliable?
The Toyota Yaris has an average MOT pass rate of 82%, from 691,442 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 2 points of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Toyota Yaris years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 1999 (68% of 3,072 tests passed, against 75% for all 1999 cars) and the 2000 (70% of 6,496 tests passed, against 74% for all 2000 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. The years that passed most often for their age were the 2011 (82% of 25,853 tests passed, against 77% for all 2011 cars), the 2013 (84% of 46,724 tests passed, against 80% for all 2013 cars) and the 2015 (88% of 46,438 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars). A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Toyota Yaris faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Toyota Yaris typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Toyota Models
Common problems pages for other Toyota models