How reliable is the Toyota Vitz compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota Vitz, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 79.0% across 2,247 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 Vitz?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 15.8% of all Toyota Vitz tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 52,462 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 Vitz years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Toyota Vitz cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 83.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 68.3%. 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 Vitz get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 83.5% of Toyota Vitz tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 68.3%. 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 Vitz models petrol or diesel?

Of the Toyota Vitz cars tested, 87% are petrol, 12% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Toyota Vitz MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,247 recorded MOT tests of the Toyota Vitz, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,247 MOT tests, 79.0% of Toyota Vitz tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Toyota Vitz 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 suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 27.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 52,462 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

79.0%unadjusted, not comparable2,247 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Vitz. 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 2,247 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc27.8%
99 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
2.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 functioning14.0%
50 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.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 functioning12.6%
45 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.2%
40 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.0%
39 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements10.4%
37 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen10.4%
37 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.4%
37 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.0%
32 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
10.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.5%
23 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.A tyre seriously damaged15.8%
355 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.1%
227 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.3%
141 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow3.4%
77 testsLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm2.4%
54 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage1.8%
41 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.7%
38 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1.7%
38 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Toyota Vitz

The 22 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.

How wear changes the picture

Vitz pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Toyota Vitz passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201983%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201691%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201376%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier68%

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 Vitz 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 Vitz fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 52,462
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol87.4%
Hybrid12.4%

Trim names grouped into this model (3)

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

VITZ AUTO
VITZ HYBRID
VITZ HYBRID AUTO

Check a specific Toyota Vitz

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 Vitz compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Toyota Vitz, 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 79.0% across 2,247 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 Vitz?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 27.8% of failed Toyota Vitz 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 Vitz?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 15.8% of all Toyota Vitz tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Toyota Vitz usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 52,462 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 Vitz years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Toyota Vitz cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 83.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 68.3%. 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 Vitz get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 83.5% of Toyota Vitz tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 68.3%. 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 Vitz models petrol or diesel?: Of the Toyota Vitz cars tested, 87% are petrol, 12% are hybrid. 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.