Toyota Hilux 2016: reliability & common MOT faults

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Standout: Leaf spring (rear), 7.3% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 94 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation: about 91× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Shares below are measured across the 1,294 of 1,296 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025: the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Ranked patterns

Fault pattern	Location	Failures	vs similar cars	Share of fails	Confidence
Leaf spring (rear) Suspension > Springs > Leaf springs > Leaf spring	Rear	94	×91	7.3%	Likely
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas	Rear	39	×69	3.0%	Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear) Brakes > Rigid brake pipes	Rear	44	×5.4	3.4%	Likely
Service brake performance (front) Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance	Front	59	×4.3	4.6%	Likely
Parking brake control: Lever Brakes > Parking brake control > Lever	Any	37	×4.3	2.9%	Likely
Rear fog lamp (rear) Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Front and rear fog lamps > Rear fog lamp > Rear fog lamp	Rear	44	×3.6	3.4%	Likely
Parking brake performance Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake performance > Rbt > Parking brake performance	Any	27	×3.4	2.1%	Possible
Rbt (sp) Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp)	Any	146	×3.3	11.3%	Likely
Electronic stability control Brakes > ABS / EBS / ESC > Electronic stability control	Any	40	×3.2	3.1%	Likely
Coil spring (front) Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring	Front	179	×3.0	13.8%	Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Wear patterns

Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.

These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults. Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.

Pattern	Location	Failures	vs similar cars	Share of fails	Confidence
Brake pads (front) Brakes > Mechanical brake components > Brake linings and pads > Brake pads	Front	113	×2.1	8.7%	Wear

Note: These patterns are not treated as a model design fault in our common-faults ranking.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern	Location	Notes	vs similar cars	Share	Confidence
Chassis condition (rear) Body, chassis, structure > Chassis > Chassis condition	Rear	92	×72	7.1%	Elevated
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas	Rear	23	×19	1.8%	Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear) Brakes > Rigid brake pipes	Rear	74	×3.3	5.7%	Likely
Shock absorbers (rear) Suspension > Shock absorbers	Rear	97	×3.2	7.5%	Elevated
Coil spring (front) Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring	Front	22	×3.0	1.7%	Possible
Transmission oil leaks Noise, emissions and leaks > Fluid leaks > Transmission oil leaks	Any	23	×2.8	1.8%	Elevated
Rigid brake pipes (front) Brakes > Rigid brake pipes	Front	43	×2.2	3.3%	Elevated
Service brake performance (front) Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance	Front	33	×2.1	2.6%	Likely

Note: Advisories are not a fail rate; they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

68.8%

of 4,151 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

74.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

4,151

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 9.0 yrs · median mileage 89,326 mi

vs 2024: -1.5 pp first-attempt

Note:

Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
Raw outcomes for this cohort, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Hilux either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2016 Hilux, commonest first.

Other Hilux years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set, the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year	vs the years either side	First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars)	First tests
2017 Hilux	+2.7 pp better	75.1%	4,679

What to check on a 2016 Hilux

The items that failed 2016 Hilux most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual; the table further up the page covers that.

Coil spring (front): recorded on 13.8% of failed first attempts
Position lamp (front): recorded on 11.3% of failed first attempts
Rbt (sp): recorded on 11.3% of failed first attempts
Brake pads (front): recorded on 8.7% of failed first attempts
Registration plate lamp(s): recorded on 7.4% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Is the 2016 Toyota Hilux reliable?

Coil spring (front) was the most common reason a 2016 Hilux failed its MOT: 13.8% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 68.8% of 4,151 first MOTs on the 2016 Toyota Hilux passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 74.8%. Among 1,296 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Leaf spring (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (7.3% of those tests; 94 observed failures; about 91× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.

What is most likely to fail on a 2016 Toyota Hilux?

Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2016 Toyota Hiluxs most often at the first attempt were Coil spring (front) (13.8%), Position lamp (front) (11.3%) and Rbt (sp) (11.3%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answers.

What common MOT faults stand out on the Toyota Hilux 2016?

Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Leaf spring (rear) (7.3% of those tests; 94 observed failures; about 91× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.

Why does Leaf spring (rear) stand out?

Leaf spring (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (7.3% of those tests; 94 observed failures; about 91× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.

What are common problems with the 2016 Toyota Hilux?

Common MOT problem areas for the 2016 Toyota Hilux include Leaf spring (rear), Component mounting prescribed areas (rear), Rigid brake pipes (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise, not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.

How should I read advisories vs fails?

Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.

What does this Toyota Hilux 2016 MOT report cover?

This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2016 Toyota Hilux (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.

Does this include engine and gearbox problems?

No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
When the underlying data is not available for a car, we say so. We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.