How reliable is the Toyota RAV-4 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota RAV-4, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 64.1% across 26,977 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 RAV-4?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Toyota RAV-4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Toyota RAV-4 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 113,713 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.

Which Toyota RAV-4 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Toyota RAV-4 cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 76.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 61.1%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Toyota RAV-4 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 76.0% of Toyota RAV-4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Toyota RAV-4 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Toyota RAV-4 cars tested, 64% are diesel, 36% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Toyota RAV-4 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 26,977 recorded MOT tests of the Toyota RAV-4, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 26,977 MOT tests, 64.1% of Toyota RAV-4 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Toyota RAV-4 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 lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 14.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 113,713 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

64.1%unadjusted, not comparable26,977 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the RAV-4. 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 26,977 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Toyota RAV-4 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.4%
1,131 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc13.0%
1,018 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
3.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 repaired12.6%
986 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements11.8%
920 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.0%
708 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.7%
683 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.6%
675 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded8.4%
654 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
9.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.8%
608 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
10.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.2%
564 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Toyota RAV-4 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.0%
6,485 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn19.1%
5,148 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.0%
5,138 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured18.6%
5,016 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.5%
4,978 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged15.0%
4,057 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded12.0%
3,227 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.2%
3,028 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Toyota RAV-4

The 17 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Toyota RAV-4 common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a RAV-4, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

RAV-4 common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

RAV-4 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Toyota RAV-4 passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 9 to 11 was first used in 2014–2016.

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201676%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201371%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier61%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer RAV-4 outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The RAV-4 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 113,713
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel63.7%
Petrol36.2%

Trim names grouped into this model (8)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

RAV 4 HYBRID
RAV 4 L
RAV 4 LWB
RAV-4 AWD
RAV-4 D-4D
RAV-4 DESIGN HEV CVT
RAV-4 EXCEL HEV
RAV-4 HYBRID

Check a specific Toyota RAV-4

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 RAV-4 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota RAV-4, 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 64.1% across 26,977 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 RAV-4?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 14.4% of failed Toyota RAV-4 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 RAV-4?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Toyota RAV-4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Toyota RAV-4 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 113,713 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.
Which Toyota RAV-4 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Toyota RAV-4 cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 76.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 61.1%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Toyota RAV-4 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 76.0% of Toyota RAV-4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Toyota RAV-4 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Toyota RAV-4 cars tested, 64% are diesel, 36% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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.