3,278 tests in 2025
Daihatsu Terios reliability and MOT pass rate
64.6% passed first time. The 35.4% fail rate is 12.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 89,287 miles.
Pass rate
64.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 35.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
89,287 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 3 | — |
| 14+ years | 3,275 | 35.5% |
What the Terios fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension85 dangerous52%
- Brakes176 dangerous36%
- Body, chassis, structure21 dangerous32.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13 dangerous27.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks15.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.4%
- Tyres117 dangerous9.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems9.5%
Is the Terios getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 35.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,137 | 15 | 32.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 4,622 | 16 | 34% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,560 | 17 | 34.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,278 | 18 | 35.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Terios at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Terios in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength242 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn156 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt119 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively96 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working94 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick86 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded86 tests
- 8Stop lamp: not working84 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Terios collects 3.78 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened507 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure480 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn454 tests
- 4Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn412 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded381 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm271 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick261 tests
- 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength232 tests
Questions
What is the Daihatsu Terios MOT pass rate?
64.6% of the 3,278 Daihatsu Terios first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 35.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Daihatsu Terios usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 242 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, suspension appears in 52% of failures, brakes appears in 36% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 32.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 35.5%. The median Daihatsu Terios tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 89,287 miles.
Is the Daihatsu Terios getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 35.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Terios trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Daihatsu models
Checking a particular Terios?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.