Toyota Rav MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Toyota Rav MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Toyota Rav passed on its first attempt in 68.2%, and its overall record sits −5.4 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Toyota Rav in the 2023–2025 data: 164 tests across 3 model years (2002–2005). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

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

Most Common Toyota Rav MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Toyota Rav, 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.

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

Top Recorded Toyota Rav DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Toyota Rav, each with how many of the model's 164 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 13 Toyota Rav tests, 7.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 7 Toyota Rav tests, 4.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 6 Toyota Rav tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 6 Toyota Rav tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 5 Toyota Rav tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 4 Toyota Rav tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Toyota Rav Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Toyota Rav model year on record is 2004 (79.0% across 62 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (70.6%). The gap between them is 8.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Toyota Rav reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.0 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Toyota Rav Owners

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

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  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 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.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Toyota Rav MOT & Reliability