2,697 tests in 2025
Toyota Starlet reliability and MOT pass rate
71.9% passed first time. The 28.1% fail rate is 5.5 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 27 years old with 90,730 miles.
Pass rate
71.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
90,730 mi
27 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 5 | — |
| 6-9 years | 28 | — |
| 10-13 years | 10 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,654 | 28.4% |
What the Starlet 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.
- Suspension7 dangerous37.6%
- Body, chassis, structure13 dangerous33.2%
- Brakes35 dangerous32.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous32.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous26.5%
- Tyres151 dangerous18.5%
- Visibility14.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous4.4%
Is the Starlet getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 28.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,155 | 24 | 27.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,671 | 25 | 28.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,826 | 26 | 27.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,696 | 27 | 28.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Starlet 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 Starlet in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt154 tests
- 2Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak119 tests
- 3Service brake imbalance: across an axle99 tests
- 4Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits95 tests
- 5Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength65 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm65 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements64 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively61 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Starlet collects 3.35 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine379 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm377 tests
- 3Wheel bearings: has excessive play332 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure319 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak302 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened243 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible239 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases233 tests
Questions
What is the Toyota Starlet MOT pass rate?
71.9% of the 2,697 Toyota Starlet first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Toyota Starlet usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 154 failed tests, followed by "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak" and "Service brake imbalance: across an axle". By section, suspension appears in 37.6% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 33.2% 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 28.4%. The median Toyota Starlet tested in 2025 was 27 years old with 90,730 miles.
Is the Toyota Starlet getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 28.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 Starlet 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%
- Previa 34.2%
- Proace City 17.4%
- Urban 23.6%
- Vellfire 13.5%
- Unclassified 19.4%
- Voxy 8.7%
- Supra 9.7%
- Vitz 15.6%
Checking a particular Starlet?
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.