Is the Toyota Yaris reliable?

On MOT evidence the Toyota Yaris is about average. It passes 72.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 144 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Toyota Yaris?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.1% of failed Toyota Yaris 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 Yaris?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 19.4% of all Toyota Yaris tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 64,659 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.

Does a Toyota Yaris get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Toyota Yaris tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 57.3%. 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 Yaris models petrol or diesel?

Of the Toyota Yaris cars tested, 66% are petrol, 30% are hybrid, 4% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Toyota Yaris MOT pass rate & common failures

From 460,747 recorded MOT tests of the Toyota Yaris, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Toyota Yaris passes 72.3% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is about average, ranking it 144 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 460,747 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 17.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 64,659 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

72.3%national average72.3%unadjusted72.4%range covered100%rank144 of 262

The Yaris is 0.0 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is about average. The unadjusted figure is 72.4%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened17.1%
15,980 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13.5%
12,618 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.2%
10,445 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen10.7%
10,025 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.4%
7,870 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
6.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 repaired7.1%
6,629 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A wheel bearing excessively rough6.9%
6,397 occurrencesWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded6.8%
6,395 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
9.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps6.5%
6,051 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.4%
5,948 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Toyota Yaris 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 requirements19.4%
89,573 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged18.1%
83,580 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.2%
51,425 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.3%
47,574 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.2%
46,956 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.2%
37,983 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm4.9%
22,355 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.Number plate inscription missing or illegible4.3%
19,827 testsRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs84%

9–11 yrs77%

12–14 yrs68%

15+ yrs57%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Yaris fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 64,659
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol65.7%
Hybrid29.8%
Diesel4.4%

Trim names grouped into this model (32)

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

YARIS 1.0 VVT-I ACTIVE AUTO
YARIS 1.5 VVT-I ACTIVE HYBRID VVT-I CVT
YARIS AUTO
YARIS DESIGN HEV
YARIS DESIGN HEV CVT
YARIS DYNAMIC HEV CVT
YARIS EXCEL HEV
YARIS EXCEL HEV CVT
YARIS GR SPORT HEV CVT
YARIS GS
YARIS HEV
YARIS HYBRID
YARIS HYBRID AUTO
YARIS HYBRID ICON CVT
YARIS HYBRID VVT-I CVT AUTO
YARIS ICON +
YARIS ICON + HEV
YARIS ICON HEV
YARIS ICON HEV CVT
YARIS ICON TECH HEV
YARIS LAUNCH EDITION HEV CVT
YARIS PREMIERE EDITION HEV A
YARIS SPORT
YARIS SR
YARIS T SPIRIT HEV
YARIS T3
YARIS T3 D<4D
YARIS T4 HEV
YARIS TREND HEV
YARIS VVT-I AUTO
YARIS Y20
YARIS Y20 HEV

Check a specific Toyota Yaris

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

Compare within the range

Other Toyota models

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
Toyota C-Hr — 86.0% unadjusted
All Toyota models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted, ranked 55
Audi A3 — 77.8% adjusted, ranked 77
BMW 1 Series — 77.6% adjusted, ranked 79
Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted, ranked 131

Common questions

Is the Toyota Yaris reliable?: On MOT evidence the Toyota Yaris is about average. It passes 72.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 144 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Toyota Yaris?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.1% of failed Toyota Yaris 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 Yaris?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 19.4% of all Toyota Yaris tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Toyota Yaris usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 64,659 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.
Does a Toyota Yaris get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Toyota Yaris tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 57.3%. 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 Yaris models petrol or diesel?: Of the Toyota Yaris cars tested, 66% are petrol, 30% are hybrid, 4% are diesel. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.