How reliable is the Toyota Celica compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota Celica, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 61.2% across 8,421 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Toyota Celica?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 19.4% of all Toyota Celica tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Toyota Celica usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 117,608 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Toyota Celica MOT pass rate & common failures

From 8,421 recorded MOT tests of the Toyota Celica, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 8,421 MOT tests, 61.2% of Toyota Celica tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Toyota Celica fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which appears in 20.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 117,608 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

61.2%unadjusted, not comparable8,421 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Celica. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 8,421 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Toyota Celica tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired20.8%
578 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements15.9%
442 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer12.8%
356 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.5%
319 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Exhaust system leaking or insecure9.7%
270 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.9%
248 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.8%
218 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement7.2%
199 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
9.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.1%
196 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
10.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle7.0%
194 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Toyota Celica tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded19.4%
1,635 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured17.4%
1,467 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.3%
1,458 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded16.9%
1,422 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened16.4%
1,385 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged15.8%
1,332 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users13.8%
1,162 tests
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded13.2%
1,110 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Celica fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 117,608
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Check a specific Toyota Celica

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Toyota models

Toyota Yaris — 72.3% adjusted
Toyota Aygo — 70.4% adjusted
Toyota Prius — 81.4% adjusted
Toyota Auris — 72.6% adjusted
Toyota Corolla — 78.8% adjusted
Toyota RAV4 — 79.0% adjusted
All Toyota models

Common questions

How reliable is the Toyota Celica compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota Celica, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 61.2% across 8,421 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Toyota Celica?: The item recorded most often is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", which appears in 20.8% of failed Toyota Celica tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Toyota Celica?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 19.4% of all Toyota Celica tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Toyota Celica usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 117,608 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.