Car
Ford Fiesta
78.4%
pass rate across 5,140,104 tests
73.2% first-time pass rate
Ford Fiesta vs Toyota YARIS
The two cars compared on 6,717,844 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Toyota YARIS
82.8%
pass rate across 1,577,740 tests
79.6% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Toyota YARIS has the stronger MOT record
Across 6,717,844 tests, the Toyota YARIS has the stronger first-time record: 79.6% against 73.2%, a 6.4-point gap. On all MOTs the Toyota YARIS is ahead at 82.8% versus 78.4%. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Toyota YARIS is +3.3 points against its expected rate, the Ford Fiesta −1.3. A typical repair bill is similar: £25–£65 for the Ford Fiesta and £24–£66 for the Toyota YARIS; at their pass rates that is roughly £540–£1,395 versus £414–£1,138 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Toyota YARIS is Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded at 3.6% of tests, up to £450 to fix.
- First-time pass: 73.2% vs 79.6%.
- All MOTs: 78.4% vs 82.8%.
- Like-for-like: −1.3 vs +3.3 points.
- Typical repair bill: £25–£65 vs £24–£66.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 71.0% vs 75.0%.
| Measure | Fiesta | YARIS |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 5,140,104 | 1,577,740 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 78.4% | 82.8% stronger figure |
| First-time pass rate | 73.2% | 79.6% stronger figure |
| Against the UK average | −2.6 pts | +1.8 pts stronger figure |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | −1.3 pts | +3.3 pts stronger figure |
| Average mileage at test | 68,288 mi | 67,038 mi |
| Model years on record | 2000–2023 (24) | 2000–2023 (24) |
| Best model year | 2023 · 94.6% | 2023 · 96.3% |
| Worst model year | 2000 · 68.3% | 2000 · 71.7% |
| Typical repair bill | £25–£65 stronger figure | £24–£66 |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £540–£1,395 | £414–£1,138 stronger figure |
| Main fuel | Petrol 86% | Petrol 72% |
| Variants recorded | 10 | 5 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Fiesta
- Coil spring corroded 8.4% £25–£65
- Ball joint excessively worn 7.1% £18–£45
- Swivel pin or bush excessively worn 5.5% £40–£150
- Stop lamp not working 4.9% £3–£12
YARIS
- Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded 9.1% £80–£180
- Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded 3.6% £180–£450
- Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced 3.0% £5–£25
- Wheel bearings rough when rotated 2.4% £20–£55
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Fiesta | YARIS |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 80.6% · 413,733 tests | 89.2% · 93,641 tests |
| 2017 | 84.9% · 310,133 tests | 88.8% · 88,588 tests |
| 2018 | 89.4% · 303,753 tests | 90.6% · 90,292 tests |
| 2019 | 90.5% · 251,120 tests | 92.7% · 87,913 tests |
| 2020 | 91.0% · 159,066 tests | 94.1% · 60,961 tests |
| 2021 | 93.4% · 59,226 tests | 95.3% · 44,414 tests |
| 2022 | 93.9% · 25,363 tests | 95.2% · 19,552 tests |
| 2023 | 94.6% · 1,230 tests | 96.3% · 935 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Fiesta | YARIS |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 92.1% · 660,691 tests | 93.9% · 301,163 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 83.5% · 1,516,046 tests | 86.2% · 469,858 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 75.4% · 1,479,595 tests | 79.4% · 395,959 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 71.0% · 941,575 tests | 75.0% · 248,142 tests |
| 120k+ | 68.9% · 529,904 tests | 72.4% · 161,681 tests |
What to check before you buy
Ford Fiesta
- Coil spring corroded — 8.4% of tests, £25–£65 to put right.
- Ball joint excessively worn — 7.1% of tests, £18–£45 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2000 at 68.3%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Toyota YARIS
- Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded — 9.1% of tests, £80–£180 to put right.
- Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded — 3.6% of tests, £180–£450 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2000 at 71.7%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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