Toyota Vitz: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Toyota Vitz passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,796 individual Toyota Vitz tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 13 in every 100 Toyota Vitz 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 Vitz tested had covered 49,790 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Toyota Vitz sits 9.9 points above the national average, ranked 1,128 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 Vitz 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 Vitz at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Toyota Vitz

1. Front or rear fog lamp switch inoperative or not operating in accordance with the requirements, 1.3% of tests (51.67x the national rate for this defect)
2. Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 1.7% of tests (38.03x the national rate for this defect)
3. 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, 3.4% of tests (7.8x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.1% of tests (3.3x the national rate for this defect)
5. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.3% of tests
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.2% of tests
7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 0.9% of tests
10. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 0.8% of tests

From 1,779 DVSA-tracked Toyota Vitz tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.76% of these flagged Toyota Vitz defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Toyota Vitz

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 Vitz before it actually fails on it.

1. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 3.8% of tests (3.4x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 11.4% of tests, also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 9.7% of tests, also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.1% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3% of tests
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 1.3% of tests
7. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 1% of tests
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.9% of tests
9. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 0.7% of tests
10. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 0.7% of tests (2.68x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,779 DVSA-tracked Toyota Vitz tests, 2024.

Toyota Vitz pass rate by model year

From its 2011 to its 2013 model year, the Toyota Vitz's first-time pass rate has risen 8.7 points, from 82.7% to 91.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Toyota Vitz year:

• 2011 Toyota Vitz - 82.7% first-time pass, 300 tests
• 2012 Toyota Vitz - 86.4% first-time pass, 434 tests
• 2013 Toyota Vitz - 91.4% first-time pass, 348 tests

Toyota Vitz by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number.

• Petrol Toyota Vitz - 86.5% first-time pass, 1,569 tests
• Hybrid Toyota Vitz - 95.7% first-time pass, 207 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

• Ford Transit Custom 320 Sport Eblue - 86.7%
• SEAT Arona - 86.6%
• SEAT Tarraco - 86.6%
• Skoda Superb Se Tech Iv Phev S-A - 86.6%
• Volkswagen Transporter Se Tdi S-A - 86.6%
• Peugeot 208 Allure Puretech S/S Auto - 86.6%

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?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate