154,685 tests in 2025
Toyota Prius reliability and MOT pass rate
86.6% passed first time. The 13.4% fail rate is 9.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 128,825 miles.
Pass rate
86.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
128,825 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 13,979 | 6.6% |
| 6-9 years | 60,581 | 8.2% |
| 10-13 years | 39,801 | 14.2% |
| 14+ years | 39,367 | 23.1% |
What the Prius 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 equipment17 dangerous44.9%
- Suspension320 dangerous36.1%
- Tyres5,823 dangerous28.1%
- Brakes3,149 dangerous25.4%
- Visibility10 dangerous14.1%
- Body, chassis, structure204 dangerous10.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous6.2%
- Steering64 dangerous4.9%
Is the Prius getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.1 points to 13.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 149,217 | — | 12.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 158,518 | — | 12.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 144,709 | — | 13.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 153,379 | — | 13.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Prius 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 Prius in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working2,570 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,295 tests
- 3Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2,107 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,860 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps1,749 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,672 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak1,367 tests
- 8Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect1,350 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Prius 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 1.6mm17,042 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened9,661 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick8,013 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7,654 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6,076 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded6,031 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible5,076 tests
- 8Headlamp: has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced4,515 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Prius MOT pass rate?
86.6% of the 154,685 Toyota Prius first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Prius usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 2,570 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" 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 44.9% of failures, suspension appears in 36.1% of failures, tyres appears in 28.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 6.6%; at 14+ years it was 23.1%. The median Toyota Prius tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 128,825 miles.
Is the Toyota Prius getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.1 points to 13.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Prius 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 26 safety recalls naming the Toyota Prius: Toyota Prius recalls.
Other Toyota models
Checking a particular Prius?
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.