2025 MOT results
Toyota iQ common problems
The most common reason a Toyota iQ fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 13.2% of its 4,350 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: corroded brake pipes at 6.4% of failures against 1.9% expected; a split joint boot at 4.3% of failures against 1.6% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 12.1% of failures against 5.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 16,623 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 26.2% 4,350 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 53.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Toyota iQ MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Toyota iQ tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 12.1% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 9.8% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 7.5% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.7% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 6.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.9% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
| Anti-roll bars: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 4.3% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
13.2% of failures 12.8% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
12.1% of failures 5.1% expected 2.4 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Split joint boot
9.8% of failures 4.0% expected 2.5 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Washers that do not work
7.5% of failures 5.2% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
6.7% of failures 5.5% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Worn brake pads
6.4% of failures 5.1% expected somewhat more often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Toyota iQ, on 43.2% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is visibility, on 22.8% against 14.3% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 43.2% |
| Suspension | 27.5% |
| Brakes | 22.8% |
| Visibility | 22.8% |
| Tyres | 13.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
53.1% of Toyota iQ tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Toyota iQs, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 14.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.9% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 11.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 8.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.2% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 6.2% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.6% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slight corrosion to ferrule Brakes | 3.9% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.9% |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective Body, chassis, structure | 3.4% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.4% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Toyota iQ problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Toyota iQ?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 13.2% of failed Toyota iQ tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 43.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Toyota iQ fail its MOT?
26.2% of Toyota iQ tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 16,623 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 67 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Toyota iQ than on other cars?
Yes. “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 6.4% of its failures against 1.9% for cars of the same age, and “Anti-roll bars: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 4.3% of its failures against 1.6% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Toyota iQ aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 16,623 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.