Toyota
2,596 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Aquas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.1%
Pass-after-fix
4.5%
Fail
7.1%
Avg miles
54,118
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,519 tests
Pass rate climbs 5.2 points across the cohorts — newer Aqua examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.9%
Fail
7.7%
PRS
4.0%
Avg mileage at test
55,365 mi
Pass
93.0%
Fail
1.8%
PRS
5.2%
Avg mileage at test
38,864 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,596 MOT tests, the Aqua returns 88.1% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. A missing suspension dust cover and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 54,118, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
37 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
35 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
25 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
23 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
22 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
21 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
18 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Front or rear fog lamp switch inoperative or not operating in accordance with the requirements
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 5 failures
£268–£800
If every one of this Aqua's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 5.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Toyota Aqua has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
93.0%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.0% — a 5.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 38,864 miles — roughly 17K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, incorrect colour — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
87.9%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 87.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, ball joint dust cover no longer prevents…, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 55,365 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (87.9% pass). That's a 5.2-point spread across 2,290 older tests and 229 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an Aqua and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
