Toyota Starlet: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Toyota Starlet fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 5.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,241 individual Toyota Starlet tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 71.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 28 in every 100 Toyota Starlets presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Toyota Starlet tested had covered 92,735 miles and was built around 1998.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Toyota Starlet sits 5.1 points below the national average, ranked 1,719 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Starlet 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Toyota Starlets at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Toyota Starlet

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 2.3% of tests (13.6x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.3% of tests (8.4x the national rate for this defect)
3. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 4.2% of tests (7.98x the national rate for this defect)
4. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 3.5% of tests (6.83x the national rate for this defect)
5. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 4.2% of tests (4.39x the national rate for this defect)
6. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3.6% of tests (3.79x the national rate for this defect)
7. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.5% of tests (3.61x the national rate for this defect)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.3% of tests (3.26x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5.2% of tests (2.19x the national rate for this defect)
10. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.2% of tests (2.14x the national rate for this defect)

From 3,240 DVSA-tracked Toyota Starlet tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.68% of these flagged Toyota Starlet defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Toyota Starlet

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Toyota Starlet before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 16% of tests (24.73x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 7.9% of tests (5.22x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.2% of tests (4.17x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 16% of tests (4.08x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 10.4% of tests (3.93x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 10.3% of tests (3.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 15.9% of tests (3.36x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 13.5% of tests (2.62x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 13.7% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 11.3% of tests (1.82x the national rate for this advisory)

From 3,240 DVSA-tracked Toyota Starlet tests, 2024.

Toyota Starlet pass rate by model year

From its 1996 to its 1999 model year, the Toyota Starlet's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.9 points, from 75.2% to 70.3%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Toyota Starlet year:

• 1996 Toyota Starlet - 75.2% first-time pass, 367 tests
• 1997 Toyota Starlet - 70.4% first-time pass, 787 tests
• 1998 Toyota Starlet - 69.6% first-time pass, 1,166 tests
• 1999 Toyota Starlet - 70.3% first-time pass, 528 tests

Other Toyota models

• Toyota Yaris - 78.6%
• Toyota Aygo - 80.9%
• Toyota Prius - 86%
• Toyota Auris - 80.5%
• Toyota Rav4 - 84.3%
• Toyota C-Hr - 90.6%
• Toyota Corolla - 75.3%
• Toyota Hilux - 73%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volvo 700 Series - 71.7%
• Fiat 500 - 71.6%
• Kia Ceed - 71.6%
• Nissan Nv400 - 71.6%
• Peugeot Partner - 71.5%
• Mitsubishi Lancer - 71.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate