17,806 tests in 2025
Toyota Estima reliability and MOT pass rate
83.1% passed first time. The 16.9% fail rate is 5.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 93,400 miles.
Pass rate
83.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 16.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
93,400 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 853 | 20.2% |
| 6-9 years | 3,311 | 15.8% |
| 10-13 years | 5,528 | 14.5% |
| 14+ years | 8,076 | 18.7% |
What the Estima 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 equipment4 dangerous60.1%
- Suspension29 dangerous38.5%
- Brakes494 dangerous21.6%
- Tyres633 dangerous19.7%
- Visibility2 dangerous13.5%
- Body, chassis, structure26 dangerous11.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous9.6%
- Steering13 dangerous5.7%
Is the Estima getting worse?
The fail rate held at 17% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13,541 | 10 | 17% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 15,911 | 11 | 16.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 15,636 | 12 | 16.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 17,465 | 13 | 17% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Estima 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 Estima in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working448 tests
- 2Rear fog lamp: not working446 tests
- 3Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt399 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick347 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps260 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively252 tests
- 7Headlamp: not working on dipped beam240 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm236 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Estima collects 2.5 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 1.6mm2,157 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,582 tests
- 3Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn1,432 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,282 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened986 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure981 tests
- 7Headlamp: has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced963 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak781 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Estima MOT pass rate?
83.1% of the 17,806 Toyota Estima first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 16.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Estima usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 448 failed tests, followed by "Rear fog lamp: not working" and "Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 60.1% of failures, suspension appears in 38.5% of failures, brakes appears in 21.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 20.2%; at 14+ years it was 18.7%. The median Toyota Estima tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 93,400 miles.
Is the Toyota Estima getting less reliable?
The fail rate held at 17% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 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 Estima 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 Toyota models
- Yaris 20.4%
- Aygo 18.7%
- Hilux 24.4%
- Avensis 26.4%
- Verso 21.7%
- Rav-4 29.2%
- Yaris Cross 3.5%
- Iq 19.2%
- Land Cruiser 20.4%
- Proace 21.4%
Checking a particular Estima?
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.