25,296 tests in 2025
Toyota Rav-4 reliability and MOT pass rate
70.8% passed first time. The 29.2% fail rate is 6.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 112,177 miles.
Pass rate
70.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
112,177 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 4,132 | 20.3% |
| 14+ years | 21,159 | 31% |
What the Rav-4 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.
- Suspension456 dangerous50.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment41 dangerous35.1%
- Brakes1,099 dangerous32.3%
- Body, chassis, structure127 dangerous19%
- Noise, emissions and leaks27 dangerous16.9%
- Tyres1,131 dangerous14.9%
- Visibility1 dangerous14%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3 dangerous8%
Is the Rav-4 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 29.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 36,434 | 15 | 26.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 33,595 | 16 | 27% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 27,277 | 17 | 28.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 25,288 | 17 | 29.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Rav-4 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 Rav-4 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working930 tests
- 2Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt732 tests
- 3Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength652 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick569 tests
- 5Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect552 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively513 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak510 tests
- 8Coil spring: fractured or broken504 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Rav-4 collects 3.68 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 1.6mm4,015 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,436 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3,258 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3,168 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,986 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,455 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,367 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened2,156 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Rav-4 MOT pass rate?
70.8% of the 25,296 Toyota Rav-4 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Rav-4 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 930 failed tests, followed by "Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength". By section, suspension appears in 50.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 35.1% of failures, brakes appears in 32.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 31%. The median Toyota Rav-4 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 112,177 miles.
Is the Toyota Rav-4 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 29.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 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 Rav-4 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%
- C-Hr 9.3%
- Hilux 24.4%
- Avensis 26.4%
- Verso 21.7%
- Estima 16.9%
- Yaris Cross 3.5%
- Iq 19.2%
- Land Cruiser 20.4%
Checking a particular Rav-4?
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.