Toyota Prius common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 163,887 initial MOT tests on the Toyota Prius in Great Britain, and 78.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Toyota Prius at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 163,887
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 78.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 8.0% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 21.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 5.1%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 4,740 off the road (SORN): 127,426

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Prius fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
11.1%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
5.1%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Tyres
4.5%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
4Visibility
3.7%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
5Brakes
3.6%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
6Body, chassis and structure
1.5%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
1.3%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Steering
0.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Road wheels
0.5%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%
10Seat belts and airbags
0.4%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Position lampsLamps and electrics3.4%
Registration plate lamp(s)Lamps and electrics3.3%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.9%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics2.6%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.5%
ConditionTyres2.2%
Tread depthTyres2.2%
WipersVisibility2.1%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2024	353	93.5%	3.1%
2023	514	92.0%	2.7%
2022	1,692	92.4%	2.0%
2021	3,199	92.1%	2.3%
2020	10,294	89.0%	3.1%
2019	17,733	88.0%	3.2%
2018	15,657	87.6%	3.9%
2017	15,775	86.7%	4.4%
2016	15,318	83.7%	4.8%
2015	13,761	78.3%	4.7%
2014	11,310	76.6%	5.3%
2013	8,633	73.3%	6.0%
2012	8,186	72.3%	6.5%
2011	7,058	68.4%	6.9%
2010	9,249	67.2%	6.9%
2009	6,573	65.2%	7.4%
2008	6,129	63.6%	7.1%
2007	6,056	63.0%	7.7%
2006	3,162	60.7%	8.4%
2005	2,078	62.1%	7.3%
2004	741	60.2%	9.4%

Mileage

Prius mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
0 years	25,000 miles	355
1 year	48,100 miles	355
2 years	53,800 miles	1,178
3 years	39,900 miles	2,397
4 years	56,900 miles	6,089
5 years	70,700 miles	16,145
6 years	91,100 miles	15,757
7 years	101,100 miles	15,558
8 years	124,100 miles	15,745
9 years	166,600 miles	16,039
10 years	155,400 miles	12,204
11 years	149,200 miles	8,761
12 years	155,600 miles	8,299
13 years	172,500 miles	7,443
14 years	182,700 miles	7,560
15 years	167,500 miles	9,014
16 years	149,000 miles	5,324
17 years	149,800 miles	6,158
18 years	152,600 miles	4,778
19 years	156,200 miles	2,455
20 years	157,700 miles	1,399
21 years	154,500 miles	438

Checking a particular Prius?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Toyota Prius: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Toyota Prius?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Toyota Prius was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 11.1% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (5.1%) and tyres (4.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Toyota Prius?

78.7% of 163,887 initial MOT tests on the Toyota Prius in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 8.0% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Toyota Prius is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 5.1% of initial tests on the Toyota Prius found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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