Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 17,516 tests analysed

Toyota Yaris 2010: reliability & common MOT faults

6,666 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2010 Toyota Yaris in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Coil spring (front) and Position lamp (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Yaris passed first time 3.9 pp more often than diesel ones (62.3% of 15,967 vs 58.4% of 1,545).

First-attempt pass

61.9%

of 17,516 first tests (2025)

First tests

17,516

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

6,666

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

19.1%

Coil spring (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

61.9%

of 17,516 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

71.0%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

17,516

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 15.0 yrs · median mileage 81,779 mi

vs 2024: -3.2 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 6,662 of 6,666 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Wheel bearings (rear) — 2.5% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 164 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 3.9× 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.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 164 ×3.9 2.5% Likely
Position lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Position lamps > Position lamp
 Rear 490 ×3.1 7.4% Likely
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 1,272 ×2.8 19.1% Possible
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 286 ×2.7 4.3% Possible
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 507 ×2.6 7.6% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 152 ×2.5 2.3% Possible
Registration plate lamp(s) (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Rear 542 ×2.4 8.1% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 261 ×2.4 3.9% 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.

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
Fuel system — Hose
Body, chassis, structure > Fuel system > Hose
 Any 20 ×25 0.3% Elevated
Chassis condition (rear)
Body, chassis, structure > Chassis > Chassis condition
 Rear 136 ×4.5 2.0% Elevated
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 365 ×4.4 5.5% Possible
Integral vehicle structure condition (rear)
Body, chassis, structure > Integral vehicle structure > Integral vehicle structure condition
 Rear 115 ×3.6 1.7% Elevated
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 590 ×3.3 8.9% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 894 ×3.1 13.4% Possible
Suspension arm (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Front 394 ×2.9 5.9% Elevated
Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 89 ×2.8 1.3% Likely
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 petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 3.9 pp less often, on 1,545 tests.

This year also sits 2.5 pp below the midpoint of the 2009 and 2011 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
2009 Yaris +3.8 pp better 62.8% 23,051
2011 Yaris +1.8 pp better 66.1% 15,471
2008 Yaris -2.8 pp worse 56.1% 20,176
2014 Yaris -1.4 pp worse 72.3% 28,423

What to check on a 2010 Yaris

The items that failed 2010 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.

  • Coil spring (front) — recorded on 19.1% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 9.9% of failed first attempts
  • Registration plate lamp(s) — recorded on 8.1% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 7.6% of failed first attempts
  • Linkage ball joint dust cover (front) — recorded on 6.4% 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.

Petrol Yaris passed first time 3.9 pp more often than diesel ones (62.3% of 15,967 vs 58.4% of 1,545). In 2025, 61.9% of 17,516 first MOTs on the 2010 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 71.0%. Among 6,666 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Wheel bearings (rear) appears more often than on similar ca…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2010 Toyota Yariss most often at the first attempt were Coil spring (front) (19.1%), Position lamp (front) (9.9%) and Registration plate lamp(s) (8.1%) — 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 a…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Wheel bearings (rear) (2.5% of those tests; 164 observed failures; about 3.9× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Wheel bearings (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (2.5% of those tests; 164 observed failures; about 3.9× 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 2010 Toyota Yaris include Wheel bearings (rear), Position lamp (rear), Coil spring (front). 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 2010 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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