Pass rate, every year
228,289 tests across 19 model years, 2000–2018.
−2.0 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
228,289 tests across 19 model years, 2000–2018.
−2.0 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2017 88.0%
The strongest of the 19 years on record. See the 2017 page →
Worst year to buy
2002 73.8%
14.2 points below the 2017 peak. See the 2002 page →
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.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Toyota Avensis MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
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.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 228,289 |
| Overall pass rate | 79.0% |
| Passed on first attempt | 74.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 117,242 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2018 (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.
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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 53% |
| Suspension | 24% |
| Visibility | 10% |
| Steering | 4% |
| Brakes | 3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2% |
| Tyres | 1% |
Shares are over the Toyota Avensis's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
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.
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.
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.
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.
4 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension arm corroded | 8.6% | 1.4% | 6.1× | £35–£85 |
| Suspension component corroded | 1.6% | 0.3% | 5.3× | £180–£450 |
| Side repeaters not working | 1.3% | 0.3% | 4.3× | £5–£25 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated | 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Avensis | 3,864 | 87.6% |
| 2017 Avensis | 8,250 | 88.0% |
| 2016 Avensis | 12,119 | 87.1% |
| 2015 Avensis | 11,175 | 84.8% |
| 2014 Avensis | 10,817 | 82.8% |
| 2013 Avensis | 11,267 | 81.6% |
| 2012 Avensis | 17,543 | 81.1% |
| 2011 Avensis | 16,240 | 80.0% |
| 2010 Avensis | 20,677 | 78.9% |
| 2009 Avensis | 19,577 | 77.7% |
| 2008 Avensis | 19,959 | 75.1% |
| 2007 Avensis | 19,777 | 75.0% |
| 2006 Avensis | 17,874 | 75.2% |
| 2005 Avensis | 13,814 | 75.4% |
| 2004 Avensis | 10,202 | 76.3% |
| 2003 Avensis | 7,530 | 75.6% |
| 2002 Avensis | 3,421 | 73.8% |
| 2001 Avensis | 2,430 | 75.4% |
| 2000 Avensis | 1,753 | 74.8% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
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.
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.
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.
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.