Toyota Prius
From 266,308 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Priuss fare better: 2024 models pass at 96% vs 65.7% for 2004.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a lamp missing and inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. The top issue, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 4,155 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 4,155 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 3,973 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,458 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 3,131 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 2,505 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 2,458 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 2,306 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 2,190 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 2,059 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 1,928 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. Only 24.9% of Prius failures are serious (safety or roadside), below the 44.4% average. When this car fails its MOT, it's more likely to be lights, wipers, or emissions than something dangerous. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £61.
Toyota Prius on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 8,060 newly registered in the past year with 2,497 leaving, a net gain of 5,563. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 123,133 | 4,606 | +2,017 | -871 | +1,146 |
| 2025 Q2 | 121,959 | 4,634 | +1,851 | -563 | +1,288 |
| 2025 Q1 | 120,930 | 4,375 | +2,047 | -622 | +1,425 |
| 2024 Q4 | 119,880 | 4,000 | +2,145 | -441 | +1,704 |
| 2024 Q3 | 118,442 | 3,734 | +2,090 | -650 | +1,440 |
| 2024 Q2 | 117,159 | 3,577 | +1,852 | -554 | +1,298 |
| 2024 Q1 | 115,840 | 3,598 | +2,266 | -772 | +1,494 |
| 2023 Q4 | 114,741 | 3,203 | +2,451 | -307 | +2,144 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prius Hybrid | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 33,744 | 28% |
| Prius T Spirit Vvt-I Cvt | Petrol | 18,549 | 16% |
| Prius T Spirit Vv-I Auto | Gas | 11,204 | 9% |
| Prius T3 Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 8,710 | 7% |
| Prius Active Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 7,184 | 6% |
| Prius Plus Excel Tss Hev Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 5,084 | 4% |
| Prius T3 Vvt-I Auto | Gas | 4,509 | 4% |
| Prius T4 Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 4,195 | 4% |
| Prius Excel Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 4,125 | 3% |
| Prius Business Ed + Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 3,797 | 3% |
| Prius T4 Vvt-I Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 3,498 | 3% |
| Prius Business Edtn Vvt-I Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,228 | 2% |
| Prius Business Ed + Phev Cvt | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,127 | 2% |
| Prius Plus Icon Tss Hev Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,012 | 2% |
| Prius + Icon Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,979 | 2% |
| Prius Excel Phev Cvt | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,762 | 1% |
| Prius Plug-In Hybrid Cvt | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,629 | 1% |
| Prius+ T4 Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,167 | <1% |
| Prius Design Phev Cvt | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 957 | <1% |
| Prius+ Excel Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 945 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 96% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2023 | 92.5% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2022 | 93% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2021 | 91.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
19 earlier years
| 2020 | 89.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 88.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2018 | 90.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2017 | 88.7% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2016 | 86.3% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 81.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2014 | 81.2% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2013 | 80.7% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2012 | 78% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2011 | 74.2% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2010 | 73.3% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2009 | 72.4% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2008 | 71% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 70.4% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2006 | 69.3% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 70.2% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 65.7% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2003 | 72.1% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 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 |
| 2001 | 72.3% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
Typical mileage
Half of all Priuss tested had between 93,161 and 215,280 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 150,347 median miles, the Prius has 0.012 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Toyota models
| Toyota Yaris | 76% |
| Toyota Aygo | 78.9% |
| Toyota Auris | 76.7% |
| Toyota Rav4 | 82.8% |
| Toyota Hilux | 75% |
Common questions
What is the Toyota Prius MOT pass rate?
The Toyota Prius has a 82.4% MOT pass rate based on 266,308 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Toyota Prius?
The most common MOT failure on the Toyota Prius is a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 4,155 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Toyota Priuss are on UK roads?
There are 123,133 Toyota Priuss currently licensed on UK roads, with 4,606 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Toyota Prius at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Toyota Prius is 150,347 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 93,161 and 215,280 miles.
Buying a used Prius?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 82.4% pass rate and an average repair bill of £61 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.