6,569 tests in 2025
Toyota Hi-Ace reliability and MOT pass rate
73.1% passed first time. The 26.9% fail rate is 4.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 142,420 miles.
Pass rate
73.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
142,420 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 49 | — |
| 10-13 years | 109 | — |
| 14+ years | 6,411 | 27.1% |
What the Hi-Ace 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.
- Suspension97 dangerous46.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment38 dangerous42.2%
- Brakes141 dangerous32.1%
- Body, chassis, structure55 dangerous25.3%
- Visibility20.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12 dangerous14.6%
- Tyres239 dangerous14.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems6.2%
Is the Hi-Ace getting worse?
The fail rate held at 26.9% 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 | 9,149 | 15 | 26.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 8,437 | 16 | 26.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 6,999 | 17 | 27.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 6,552 | 18 | 26.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Hi-Ace 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 Hi-Ace in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength333 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working238 tests
- 3Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively209 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded167 tests
- 5Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn150 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working143 tests
- 7Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps132 tests
- 8Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced124 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Hi-Ace collects 3.59 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.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,232 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm877 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened639 tests
- 4Wheel bearings: has excessive play552 tests
- 5Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn547 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength531 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure497 tests
- 8Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine490 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Hi-Ace MOT pass rate?
73.1% of the 6,569 Toyota Hi-Ace first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Hi-Ace usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 333 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively". By section, suspension appears in 46.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 42.2% of failures, brakes appears in 32.1% 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 27.1%. The median Toyota Hi-Ace tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 142,420 miles.
Is the Toyota Hi-Ace getting less reliable?
The fail rate held at 26.9% 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 Hi-Ace 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
Checking a particular Hi-Ace?
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.