MOT fail rates by first-use year

2007 Toyota Corolla MOT fail rate and common faults

How Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2007 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 19,898 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 18 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 18 (n=3,793)39.2%

All cars at 18 years (n=3,261,622)43.3%

Difference−4.1 pts

MOT tests of 2007 cars, 2022 to 202519,898

What stands out

In 2025, at 18 years old, Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2007 failed 39.2% of MOTs (3,793 tests), 4.1 points below the 43.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 15 to 18 years old, the fail rate moved from 36.9% to 39.2%.
Toyota Corolla cars first used a year earlier, in 2006, failed 39.3% at the same age of 18 years (12,721 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Toyota Corolla at 18 years, is service brake performance: excessively binding, at 2.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.5).

MOT fail rate by test year

Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2007: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	15 years	36.9%	6,041	41.6%	−4.6 pts
2023	16 years	37.0%	5,412	42.6%	−5.6 pts
2024	17 years	40.1%	4,652	43.1%	−3.0 pts
2025	18 years	39.2%	3,793	43.3%	−4.1 pts

Most common faults at 18 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used before 2019) at 18 years: cars first used 2004 to 2007, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=39,864). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	5.9	4.0
Side/position light not working Wear	5.8	5.6
Brake light not working Wear	5.1	4.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.6	3.0
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.7	2.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	3.4	1.8
Service brake performance: excessively binding	2.5	1.5
Handbrake too weak	2.4	2.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.3	2.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	2.1	1.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=39,864). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	16.2	12.3
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	14.2	17.4
Coil spring: corroded	12.6	7.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	12.3	9.8
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.8	6.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.2	11.1
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	8.6	5.4
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.4	2.9
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	8.1	12.6
Headlamp: has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Wear	8.0	3.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=39,864). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 18 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used before 2019) at 18 years: cars first used 2004 to 2007, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=39,864). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	84.8%	39.9%	33,803	43.2%	97,761 miles
Diesel	15.2%	41.8%	6,037	43.6%	133,690 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 18 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used before 2019) at 18 years: cars first used 2004 to 2007, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=39,864). At 18 years, Toyota Corolla cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (50.0%, n=4,996) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (26.4%, n=4,391). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	26.4%	4,391	32.9%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	35.6%	9,817	41.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	42.3%	11,871	46.3%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	46.5%	8,035	47.5%
Over 150,000 miles	50.0%	4,996	46.8%

Car tax rules for a 2007 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2007 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Toyota Corolla

2006 Toyota Corolla 2008 Toyota Corolla

Other Toyota models first used in 2007

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Toyota Yaris (2007)	18 years in 2025	44.0%	19,356	43.3%
Toyota Auris (2007)	18 years in 2025	41.2%	9,326	43.3%
Toyota Aygo (2007)	18 years in 2025	46.3%	8,421	43.3%
Toyota Prius (2007)	18 years in 2025	36.6%	6,117	43.3%
Toyota RAV4 (2007)	18 years in 2025	40.8%	5,203	43.3%
Toyota Avensis (2007)	18 years in 2025	41.6%	4,231	43.3%
Toyota Hilux (2007)	18 years in 2025	40.4%	1,626	43.3%
Toyota Land Cruiser (2007)	17 years in 2024	33.4%	1,026	43.1%

More on the Toyota Corolla

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2007 Toyota Corolla cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.