Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 9,228 tests analysed

Toyota Yaris 2003: reliability & common MOT faults

4,319 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2003 Toyota Yaris in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Position lamp (front) and Headlamp aim. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Diesel Yaris passed first time 3.2 pp more often than petrol ones (56.3% of 462 vs 53.0% of 8,766).

First-attempt pass

53.2%

of 9,228 first tests (2025)

First tests

9,228

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

4,319

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

12.7%

Position lamp (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

53.2%

of 9,228 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

64.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

9,228

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 22.0 yrs · median mileage 91,664 mi

vs 2024: -0.2 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.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

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

Shares below are measured across the 4,306 of 4,319 failed first attempts (99.7%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Linkage pins and bushes (front) — 9.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 420 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 19× 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.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Linkage pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage pins and bushes
 Front 420 ×19 9.8% Strong
Parking brake control — Lever
Brakes > Parking brake control > Lever
 Any 116 ×3.5 2.7% Likely
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 198 ×3.2 4.6% Likely
Flexible brake hoses (front)
Brakes > Flexible brake hoses
 Front 231 ×3.2 5.4% Likely
Registration plate lamp(s) (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Rear 397 ×2.9 9.2% Possible
Rear fog lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Front and rear fog lamps > Rear fog lamp > Rear fog lamp
 Rear 110 ×2.1 2.6% 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
Headlamp aim not tested (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamp aim > Headlamp aim not tested
 Front 34 ×2.1 0.8% 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
Linkage pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage pins and bushes
 Front 821 ×23 19.1% Strong
Parking brake control — Lever
Brakes > Parking brake control > Lever
 Any 22 ×4.3 0.5% Likely
Swivel pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Axles > Swivel pins and bushes
 Rear 175 ×3.9 4.1% Elevated
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 159 ×3.1 3.7% Likely
Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 114 ×3.1 2.6% Possible
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 459 ×3.0 10.7% Elevated
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Pins and bushes
 Front 128 ×2.9 3.0% Likely
Parking brake efficiency (Trikes, quads and pre-68 vehicles)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake performance > Rbt > Parking brake efficiency (Trikes, quads and pre-68 vehicles)
 Any 24 ×2.8 0.6% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

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

On this year, prefer the diesel. The petrol cars passed first time 3.2 pp less often, on 8,766 tests.

This year also sits 1.7 pp below the midpoint of the 2002 and 2004 cars either side of it — a real break in the model's own run, not the usual year-on-year drift.

Other Yaris 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
2002 Yaris +1.9 pp better 56.2% 7,169

What to check on a 2003 Yaris

The items that failed 2003 Yaris 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.

  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 12.7% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 10.9% of failed first attempts
  • Linkage pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 9.8% of failed first attempts
  • Stop lamp — recorded on 9.4% of failed first attempts
  • Registration plate lamp(s) — recorded on 9.2% 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.

Diesel Yaris passed first time 3.2 pp more often than petrol ones (56.3% of 462 vs 53.0% of 8,766). In 2025, 53.2% of 9,228 first MOTs on the 2003 Toyota Yaris passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 64.8%. Among 4,319 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Linkage pins and bushes (front) appears more often than on simi…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2003 Toyota Yariss most often at the first attempt were Position lamp (front) (12.7%), Headlamp aim (10.9%) and Linkage pins and bushes (front) (9.8%) — 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 an…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Linkage pins and bushes (front) (9.8% of those tests; 420 observed failures; about 19× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Linkage pins and bushes (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (9.8% of those tests; 420 observed failures; about 19× 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 check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2003 Toyota Yaris include Linkage pins and bushes (front), Parking brake control — Lever, Wheel bearings (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.
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.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2003 Toyota Yaris (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.
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.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

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

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