2025 MOT results
Toyota Previa common problems
The most common reason a Toyota Previa fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 17.2% of its 1,701 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: worn brake pads at 8.0% of failures against 3.5% expected; a brake light out at 15.6% of failures against 8.9% expected; an exhaust leak at 8.0% of failures against 4.9% expected.
- Tests in 2025 3,852 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.2% 1,701 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 11.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 78.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Toyota Previa MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Toyota Previa 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 | 17.2% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.6% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 12.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.0% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 9.4% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 8.0% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.0% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 6.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
17.2% of failures 11.8% expected 1.5 times as often
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.
-
Brake light out
15.6% of failures 8.9% expected 1.8 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
12.2% of failures 7.5% expected 1.6 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.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
10.0% of failures 8.9% expected about as expected
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.
-
Structural corrosion
9.4% of failures 7.0% expected somewhat more often
Corrosion in a structural area near a suspension, steering or seat belt mounting, which is a serious failure.
Look at the inner sills, rear spring seats and subframe mounts on cars over about 12 years old.
-
Engine management light on
8.8% of failures 6.3% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Toyota Previa, on 57.6% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 47.9%.
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 | 57.6% |
| Suspension | 33.4% |
| Brakes | 27.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 26.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 25.8% |
| Visibility | 19.3% |
| Tyres | 13.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
78.6% of Toyota Previa tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Toyota Previas, 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 |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 28.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 26.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 21.2% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.7% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 18.5% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 10.1% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 9.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 9.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.4% |
| Axles: swivel pin or bush slightly worn Suspension | 8.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Toyota Previa problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Toyota Previa?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 17.2% of failed Toyota Previa tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 57.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Toyota Previa fail its MOT?
44.2% of Toyota Previa tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 3,852 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 44 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Toyota Previa than on other cars?
Yes. “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” appears on 8.0% of its failures against 3.5% for cars of the same age, and “Stop lamp: not working” appears on 15.6% of its failures against 8.9% 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 Previa 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 | 3,852 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.