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Toyota Prius steering 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 steering, against 0.5 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 (0.3–0.4×) (all test years), 116 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 19 ages from 3 to 21 years, 614,268 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 6 years: 61,042 for the Toyota Prius

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 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 (all test years). The Toyota Prius fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Toyota Prius steering fails by age

Toyota Prius steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Toyota Prius. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0243 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 28,060 MOT tests34 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 39,706 MOT tests5 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 51,570 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 61,042 MOT tests7 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 57,819 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 54,363 MOT tests9 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 49,088 MOT tests910 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 46,033 MOT tests11 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 34,291 MOT tests1112 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 32,777 MOT tests13 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 31,757 MOT tests1314 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 30,592 MOT tests15 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 30,003 MOT tests1516 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 23,892 MOT tests17 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 19,103 MOT tests1718 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 13,208 MOT tests19 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 6,691 MOT tests1920 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 3,217 MOT tests21 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 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
328,0600.10.1
439,7060.10.2
551,5700.10.3
661,0420.20.5
757,8190.20.8
854,3630.41.2
949,0880.51.8
1046,0330.62.1
1134,2910.82.5
1232,7771.12.8
1331,7571.12.9
1430,5921.13.2
1530,0031.03.3
1623,8921.13.4
1719,1031.03.6
1813,2081.23.9
19*6,6911.04.1
20*3,2171.44.2
21*1,0561.34.2

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 steering at 6 years

Advisories (not fails)

Replace track rod end cost

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
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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: 1.1 per 100 at 16 years, about average for hybrid class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 18,862 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

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

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Toyota Prius have more steering problems than other cars?

0.3 to 0.4 times the steering 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 13 of the 19 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Toyota Prius steering problems?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years failed on steering, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,042 MOT tests).

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.

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