Toyota Avensis MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

79.0% Around average

228,289 tests across 19 model years, 2000–2018.

−2.0 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Toyota Avensis really fares

79.0% of its MOTs pass — over 228,289 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Toyota Avensis MOT pass rate is 79.0%, −2.0 percentage points below the UK average. That is 228,289 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2018. This page lists the most common Toyota Avensis MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Toyota Avensis MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Toyota Avensis MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Toyota Avensis passed on its first attempt in 74.3%, and its overall record sits −2.0 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Toyota Avensis in the 2023–2025 data: 228,289 tests across 19 model years (2000–2018). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed228,289
Overall pass rate79.0%
Passed on first attempt74.3%
Average mileage at test117,242 mi
Model years covered2000–2018 (19 years)
Versus UK national average−2.0 pts below

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Toyota Avensis MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Toyota Avensis, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 53% 36,032
Suspension 24% 16,375
Visibility 10% 6,603
Steering 4% 3,019
Brakes 3% 2,162
Noise, emissions and leaks 2% 1,546
Body, chassis, structure 2% 1,069
Tyres 1% 883

Shares are over the Toyota Avensis's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 53% of the recorded Toyota Avensis failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (6.0%), "Position lamp not working" (5.0%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (2.5%) among the Toyota Avensis's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 24% of the recorded Toyota Avensis failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (3.1%), "Coil spring fractured or broken" (2.2%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (1.2%) among the Toyota Avensis's suspension faults.

Visibility

Around 10% of the recorded Toyota Avensis failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.1%) among the Toyota Avensis's visibility faults.

Top Recorded Toyota Avensis DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Toyota Avensis, each with how many of the model's 228,289 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 13,610 Toyota Avensis tests, 6.0% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 11,420 Toyota Avensis tests, 5.0% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 7,093 Toyota Avensis tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 5,766 Toyota Avensis tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 5,355 Toyota Avensis tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 4,994 Toyota Avensis tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.

What Avensis fails on more than most

4 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Suspension arm corroded Suspension · year by year → 8.6% 1.4% 6.1× £35–£85
Suspension component corroded Suspension · year by year → 1.6% 0.3% 5.3× £180–£450
Side repeaters not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 1.3% 0.3% 4.3× £5–£25
Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated Suspension · year by year → 2.0% 0.6% 3.3× £18–£45

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (228,289 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Avensis records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

Best and Worst Toyota Avensis Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Toyota Avensis model year on record is 2017 (88.0% across 8,250 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (73.8%). The gap between them is 14.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Toyota Avensis reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2018 Avensis 3,864 87.6% 86.2% 95,092 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2017 Avensis 8,250 88.0% 86.6% 86,296 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2016 Avensis 12,119 87.1% 85.5% 96,151 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2015 Avensis 11,175 84.8% 82.4% 113,490 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2014 Avensis 10,817 82.8% 79.6% 126,522 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 Avensis 11,267 81.6% 78.0% 128,241 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2012 Avensis 17,543 81.1% 77.2% 126,388 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2011 Avensis 16,240 80.0% 75.5% 124,078 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 Avensis 20,677 78.9% 73.9% 126,764 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 Avensis 19,577 77.7% 72.1% 127,840 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2008 Avensis 19,959 75.1% 68.3% 126,323 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2007 Avensis 19,777 75.0% 68.2% 132,455 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 Avensis 17,874 75.2% 68.4% 128,194 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2005 Avensis 13,814 75.4% 68.9% 124,108 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2004 Avensis 10,202 76.3% 70.3% 117,007 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2003 Avensis 7,530 75.6% 69.4% 115,021 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2002 Avensis 3,421 73.8% 67.1% 112,087 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2001 Avensis 2,430 75.4% 69.9% 109,539 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2000 Avensis 1,753 74.8% 68.4% 111,999 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Toyota Avensis Owners

These checks follow this Toyota Avensis's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Toyota Avensis.

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

  • the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

    With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

  • the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

    Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Toyota Avensis. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Toyota Avensis MOT & Reliability

What is the Toyota Avensis MOT pass rate?

79.0% of the 228,289 recorded Toyota Avensis MOT tests ended in a pass, −2.0 percentage points below the national average. 74.3% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Toyota Avensis model years pass the MOT most often?

2017 is the strongest Toyota Avensis year on record at 88.0%, while 2002 is the weakest at 73.8%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Toyota Avensis MOT failures?

The most recorded Toyota Avensis failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Position lamp not working" — together around 11% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.