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Toyota Prius exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 61,042 MOT tests · Updated

At 6 years, 0.2 in 100 MOT tests of the Toyota Prius failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,042 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.1–0.2×) (all test years), 127 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 19 ages from 3 to 21 years, 614,268 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 0.2 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.2 fails per 100 MOT tests at 6 years, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 (all test years). The Toyota Prius fails less often here.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Toyota Prius exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Toyota Prius exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Toyota Prius. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 28,060 MOT tests34 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 39,706 MOT tests5 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 51,570 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 61,042 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 57,819 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 54,363 MOT tests9 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 49,088 MOT tests910 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 46,033 MOT tests11 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 34,291 MOT tests1112 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 32,777 MOT tests13 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 31,757 MOT tests1314 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 30,592 MOT tests15 years: 3.4 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 30,003 MOT tests1516 years: 4.8 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 23,892 MOT tests17 years: 5.6 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 19,103 MOT tests1718 years: 6.2 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 13,208 MOT tests19 years: 5.9 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 6,691 MOT tests1920 years: 5.8 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,217 MOT tests21 years: 4.1 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,056 MOT tests21
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Toyota Prius All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
328,0600.20.5
439,7060.20.7
551,5700.21.0
661,0420.21.3
757,8190.31.7
854,3630.42.1
949,0880.52.4
1046,0330.62.8
1134,2910.93.2
1232,7771.43.7
1331,7571.94.3
1430,5922.85.1
1530,0033.45.7
1623,8924.86.2
1719,1035.66.5
1813,2086.26.8
19*6,6915.97.0
20*3,2175.87.0
21*1,0564.17.1

All first-use years of the Toyota Prius pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 6 years

Fails

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 1.8 hybrid: 0.2 per 100 at 6 years, about average for hybrid class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 60,428 MOT tests)
  • 1.5 hybrid: 5.4 per 100 at 16 years, fails 1.5–1.7× as often as hybrid class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 18,862 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Check one Toyota Prius, not the average

The figures here describe Toyota Prius cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Toyota Prius problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Toyota Prius have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.1 to 0.2 times the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 6 years (all test years), from 61,042 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 10 of the 19 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Toyota Prius exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,042 MOT tests).

What is the most common Toyota Prius exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (112 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 614,268 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare