MOT fail rates by first-use year

2020 Toyota Corolla MOT fail rate and common faults

How Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2020 did at their MOTs from 2023 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 56,539 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 5 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 5 (n=19,060)10.4%

All cars at 5 years (n=9,425,360)15.3%

Difference−4.9 pts

MOT tests of 2020 cars, 2023 to 202556,539

What stands out

In 2025, at 5 years old, Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2020 failed 10.4% of MOTs (19,060 tests), 4.9 points below the 15.3% for all cars that age.
From 2023 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 5 years old, the fail rate moved from 10.5% to 10.4%.
Toyota Corolla cars first used a year earlier, in 2019, failed 11.4% at the same age of 5 years (16,362 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Toyota Corolla at 5 years, is tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, at 0.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Toyota Corolla cars first used in 2020: 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
2023	3 years	10.5%	18,784	12.1%	−1.5 pts
2024	4 years	10.8%	18,695	13.4%	−2.5 pts
2025	5 years	10.4%	19,060	15.3%	−4.9 pts

Most common faults at 5 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used 2019 or later) at 5 years: cars first used 2019 to 2020, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,422). 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
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.7	2.1
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.5	1.4
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	1.1	1.7
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	1.0	0.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	0.7	0.3
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	0.7	0.8
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	0.5	0.7
Headlight aimed too high Wear	0.5	0.6
Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative	0.5	0.4
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	0.4	1.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=35,422). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	12.3	13.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.8	6.4
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.1	8.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	2.6	8.8
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	2.6	1.7
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	1.9	1.9
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	1.9	2.2
Wipers: blade defective Wear	1.9	1.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	1.8	1.3
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	1.7	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=35,422). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 5 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used 2019 or later) at 5 years: cars first used 2019 to 2020, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,422). 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
Hybrid	96.9%	10.9%	34,306	12.4%	46,048 miles
Petrol	3.1%	8.9%	1,112	14.2%	29,622 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 5 years

These figures cover all Toyota Corolla MOTs (first used 2019 or later) at 5 years: cars first used 2019 to 2020, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,422). At 5 years, Toyota Corolla cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (14.3%, n=1,629) than those at under 30,000 miles (8.9%, n=9,044). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	8.9%	9,044	11.1%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	11.0%	14,067	16.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	11.4%	6,011	20.8%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	12.0%	2,880	23.7%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	13.1%	1,664	24.2%
Over 150,000 miles	14.3%	1,629	24.1%

Car tax rules for a 2020 car

Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.

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.
Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
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

2019 Toyota Corolla 2021 Toyota Corolla

Other Toyota models first used in 2020

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Toyota Yaris (2020)	5 years in 2025	11.4%	20,687	15.3%
Toyota Aygo (2020)	5 years in 2025	13.1%	16,578	15.3%
Toyota C-HR (2020)	5 years in 2025	14.6%	16,330	15.3%
Toyota RAV4 (2020)	5 years in 2025	8.8%	11,688	15.3%
Toyota Prius (2020)	5 years in 2025	10.9%	10,168	15.3%
Toyota Hilux (2020)	5 years in 2025	19.6%	4,956	15.3%
Toyota Proace (2020)	5 years in 2025	21.1%	1,490	15.3%

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 2020 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.