52,096 tests in 2025
Toyota Avensis reliability and MOT pass rate
73.6% passed first time. The 26.4% fail rate is 3.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 116,072 miles.
Pass rate
73.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
116,072 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 6,584 | 15.2% |
| 10-13 years | 12,710 | 22.2% |
| 14+ years | 32,802 | 30.2% |
What the Avensis 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment48 dangerous45.1%
- Suspension246 dangerous39.5%
- Brakes2,539 dangerous33.9%
- Tyres3,128 dangerous22%
- Visibility7 dangerous14.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks30 dangerous13%
- Body, chassis, structure197 dangerous11.4%
- Steering35 dangerous5%
Is the Avensis getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.8 points to 26.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 79,729 | 13 | 24.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 71,498 | 14 | 25.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 57,047 | 14 | 25.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 52,087 | 15 | 26.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Avensis 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 Avensis in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working2,155 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken1,755 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,204 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,169 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively976 tests
- 6Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect948 tests
- 7Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt925 tests
- 8Side repeaters: not working802 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Avensis collects 3.3 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm8,945 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,690 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,165 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,070 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure4,454 tests
- 6Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened4,366 tests
- 7Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened4,337 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3,854 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Avensis MOT pass rate?
73.6% of the 52,096 Toyota Avensis first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Avensis usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 2,155 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 45.1% of failures, suspension appears in 39.5% of failures, brakes appears in 33.9% 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 30.2%. The median Toyota Avensis tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 116,072 miles.
Is the Toyota Avensis getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.8 points to 26.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Avensis trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 27 safety recalls naming the Toyota Avensis: Toyota Avensis recalls.
Other Toyota models
Checking a particular Avensis?
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.