Known faults, from the test record
Toyota Hilux common problems
What fails on the Toyota Hilux at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 75,299 DVSA test records.
Data updated
Quick answer
The Toyota Hilux's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, parking brake, body and structure, recorded in 34.1%, 22.1% and 18.2% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (85.1%) and 2004 cars least (54.1%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.
A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Toyota Hilux that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 75,299 cars.
By component
What wears out on a Hilux
Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Toyota Hilux tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.
1.Bulbs and lamps
34.1% of failed testsFilament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.
- “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained14.0%
- “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained8.0%
- “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained6.3%
- “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained5.8%
Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last
2.Parking brake
22.1% of failed testsCables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.
3.Body and structure
18.2% of failed testsStructural corrosion within 30 cm of a seat belt, suspension or steering mounting fails; it is a disease of age, salt and wet storage.
- “Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point” — explained7.8%
- “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained6.8%
- “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained3.6%
4.Wiper blades and washers
16.8% of failed testsRubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.
- “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained11.5%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.9%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.3%
Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last
5.Coil springs
15.5% of failed testsSprings fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.
- “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained11.0%
- “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained4.5%
Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last
6.Suspension bushes
14.2% of failed testsRubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.
- “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained6.8%
- “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.9%
- “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.4%
Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last
7.Tyres
12.9% of failed testsTread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.
- “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained8.4%
- “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.5%
Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last
8.Suspension arms and mountings
12.9% of failed testsArms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.
- “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” — explained10.4%
- “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” — explained2.5%
By registration year
Hilux problems by year
MOT pass rate for Toyota Hilux cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2017, up 5.8 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.
Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.
Before it fails
What testers warn Hilux owners about
Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Toyota Hilux tests carrying an advisory for each.
- Tyres25.9% of tests
- Brake pipes12.8% of tests
- Body and structure10.3% of tests
- Brake pads and shoes7.9% of tests
- Suspension bushes7.3% of tests
Go deeper
The rest of the Hilux file
Common questions
- What are the most common problems with a Toyota Hilux?
- Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 34.1% of failed tests), parking brake (recorded in 22.1% of failed tests), and body and structure (recorded in 18.2% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 75,299 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
- Which Toyota Hilux year is the most reliable?
- By MOT pass rate, Toyota Hilux cars registered in 2022 do best at 85.1% and 2004 cars do worst at 54.1%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2017, up 5.8 points on 2016.
- Is the Toyota Hilux reliable?
- Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Toyota Hilux passes 71.2% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
- What should I check when buying a used Toyota Hilux?
- Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, wiper blades and washers, coil springs. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.
Analysis built from DVSA data of