The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Toyota RAV-4 common problems

What fails on the Toyota RAV-4 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 26,977 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Toyota RAV-4's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres, recorded in 34.7%, 31.4% and 16.1% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2013 cars pass most often (76.7%) and 2007 cars least (57.4%), 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 RAV-4 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 26,977 cars.

By component

What wears out on a RAV-4

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Toyota RAV-4 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. 1.Suspension bushes

    34.7% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained13.0%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained6.6%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained6.3%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.9%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  2. 2.Bulbs and lamps

    31.4% of failed tests

    Filament 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” — explained14.4%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained5.7%
    • “Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow” — explained3.3%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.0%

    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

  3. 3.Tyres

    16.1% of failed tests

    Tread 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” — explained9.0%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.1%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained3.0%

    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

  4. 4.Suspension arms and mountings

    15.3% of failed tests

    Arms 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” — explained12.6%
    • “A suspension component fractured or likely to fail” — explained2.7%

  5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

    14.5% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained8.6%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.6%
    • “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

  6. 6.Headlamp aim

    11.8% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained11.8%

  7. 7.Brake pads and shoes

    8.7% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained8.7%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes 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 brake pads and shoes last

  8. 8.Brake pipes

    8.4% of failed tests

    Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

    • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained8.4%

    Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

By registration year

RAV-4 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Toyota RAV-4 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 2013, up 5.9 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200261%
200361%−0.4
200461%+0.3
200564%+2.8
200658%−5.6
200757%−0.7
200859%+1.8
200962%+2.4
201065%+3.7
201169%+3.6
201271%+1.9
201377%+5.9
201476%−0.5

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 RAV-4 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Toyota RAV-4 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the RAV-4 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Toyota RAV-4?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 34.7% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 31.4% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 16.1% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 26,977 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Toyota RAV-4 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Toyota RAV-4 cars registered in 2013 do best at 76.7% and 2007 cars do worst at 57.4%. 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 2013, up 5.9 points on 2012.
Is the Toyota RAV-4 reliable?
The Toyota RAV-4 passes 64.1% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. 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 RAV-4?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres. 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