Toyota Prius: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Toyota Prius passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 157,929 individual Toyota Prius tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 86% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | +9.3 points |
| Tests analysed | 157,929 |
| Average mileage at test | 132,186 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 2014 |
| Reliability rank | 1,167 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 86% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 Toyota Prius presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Toyota Prius tested had covered 132,186 miles and was built around 2014.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Toyota Prius bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.
Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.
Looking at a specific Toyota Prius rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Toyota Prius actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 7 real settled sales.
Most common MOT failures on a Toyota Prius
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.1% of tests (2.28x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.6% of tests
- A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 1.3% of tests (1.99x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.1% of tests
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.1% of tests
- A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
- An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.8% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this defect)
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.6% of tests
- Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 0.6% of tests (19.2x the national rate for this defect)
- Rear registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps, 0.5% of tests (5.57x the national rate for this defect)
From 619 DVSA-tracked Toyota Prius tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 7.48% of these flagged Toyota Prius defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Toyota Prius pass rate by model year
Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Toyota Prius year:
- 2004 Toyota Prius - 74.7% first-time pass, 875 tests
- 2005 Toyota Prius - 75.4% first-time pass, 2,327 tests
- 2006 Toyota Prius - 72.9% first-time pass, 3,468 tests
- 2007 Toyota Prius - 74.1% first-time pass, 6,429 tests
- 2008 Toyota Prius - 74.8% first-time pass, 6,508 tests
- 2009 Toyota Prius - 76.4% first-time pass, 6,738 tests
- 2010 Toyota Prius - 78.7% first-time pass, 9,370 tests
- 2011 Toyota Prius - 79.7% first-time pass, 7,063 tests
- 2012 Toyota Prius - 82.1% first-time pass, 7,768 tests
- 2013 Toyota Prius - 84.4% first-time pass, 8,441 tests
- 2014 Toyota Prius - 89.1% first-time pass, 13,708 tests
- 2015 Toyota Prius - 89% first-time pass, 13,547 tests
- 2016 Toyota Prius - 90.5% first-time pass, 14,489 tests
- 2017 Toyota Prius - 92.2% first-time pass, 14,803 tests
- 2018 Toyota Prius - 93.5% first-time pass, 14,260 tests
- 2019 Toyota Prius - 93.5% first-time pass, 14,791 tests
- 2020 Toyota Prius - 92% first-time pass, 8,274 tests
- 2021 Toyota Prius - 93.7% first-time pass, 2,371 tests
- 2022 Toyota Prius - 94.9% first-time pass, 721 tests
- 2023 Toyota Prius - 93.8% first-time pass, 451 tests
Other Toyota models
- Toyota Yaris - 78.6%
- Toyota Aygo - 80.9%
- Toyota Auris - 80.5%
- Toyota Rav4 - 84.3%
- Toyota C-Hr - 90.6%
- Toyota Corolla - 75.3%
- Toyota Hilux - 73%
- Toyota Avensis - 73.7%
Models with a similar pass rate
- BMW 330e Xdrive M Sport Auto - 86.1%
- SEAT Arona Fr Ecotsi S-A - 86.1%
- Volkswagen Transporter T32 H-Ln Tdi 4m Sa - 86.1%
- Peugeot Expert Professional L1 Bluehdi - 86%
- Maserati Levante D V6 Auto - 86%
- Jaguar Eagle - 86%
If this car is a salvage or write-off
- Toyota hybrid salvage buying guide
- Does high mileage mean a worse MOT pass rate? The workhorses say no
- What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
- What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
- Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
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