2025 MOT results
Toyota MR2 common problems
The most common reason a Toyota MR2 fails its MOT is a weak handbrake, on 26.6% of its 3,127 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a braking fault at 14.2% of failures against 2.7% expected; a weak handbrake at 9.1% of failures against 1.9% expected; emissions above the limit at 5.1% of failures against 1.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 9,718 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 32.2% 3,127 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 53.7% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Toyota MR2 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Toyota MR2 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 |
|---|---|
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 26.6% |
| Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side Brakes | 14.2% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.3% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.3% |
| Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value Brakes | 9.1% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 8.7% |
| Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.6% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 7.6% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.2% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.2% |
| Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.1% |
| Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Weak handbrake
26.6% of failures 7.0% expected 3.8 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Braking fault
14.2% of failures 2.7% expected 5.3 times as often
A braking fault, which the test checks both by inspection and by measuring performance on a rolling road.
-
Emissions above the limit
10.3% of failures 5.3% expected 1.9 times as often
The exhaust gases are outside the limits for the car, which can be the catalytic converter, a sensor, or simply a poor state of tune.
A long run before the test helps a catalyst get hot; a persistent failure usually needs a diagnosis.
-
Sidelight out
9.3% of failures 10.8% 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.
-
Weak handbrake
9.1% of failures 1.9% expected 4.8 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Weak or uneven footbrake
8.7% of failures 4.1% expected 2.1 times as often
The footbrake is either weak overall or pulls unevenly across an axle, which the rolling road measures.
A pull to one side under firm braking, or a long pedal, is the sign to get it looked at before a test.
Which parts of the car fail
Brakes is the area that most often fails a Toyota MR2, on 52.5% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 30.3%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 52.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 35.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 30.7% |
| Suspension | 26.4% |
| Visibility | 12.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.8% |
| Tyres | 10.0% |
| Steering | 5.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
53.7% of Toyota MR2 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Toyota MR2s, 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 |
|---|---|
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.6% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 10.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.7% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 8.1% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 5.7% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.8% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 4.8% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 3.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Toyota MR2 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Toyota MR2?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” is the most common: it appears on 26.6% of failed Toyota MR2 tests. Across categories, brakes is the area that most often fails one, on 52.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Toyota MR2 fail its MOT?
32.2% of Toyota MR2 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 9,718 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 58 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Toyota MR2 than on other cars?
Yes. “Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side” appears on 14.2% of its failures against 2.7% for cars of the same age, and “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” appears on 9.1% of its failures against 1.9% 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 MR2 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 | 9,718 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.