Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 135,379 tests

Pass rate climbs 5.8 points across the cohorts — newer Hilux examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 106,705

Pass

71.9%

Fail

21.8%

PRS

5.3%

Avg mileage at test

115,913 mi

2018–2020 cohort 27,550

Pass

82.4%

Fail

11.3%

PRS

5.3%

Avg mileage at test

61,529 mi

2021+ cohort 1,124

Pass

77.7%

Fail

16.1%

PRS

4.2%

Avg mileage at test

28,992 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

Toyota Hilux · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Toyota Hilux: mixed MOT record across 87,518 tests

The Toyota Hilux, stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they could be configured in a variety of body styles

MOT data from 87,518 tests puts this van on a 73.3% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 98,546 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by failed number plate light.

Buyers weighing up a used Hilux should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 32–40

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

32–40

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

4,359 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
02

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

3,950 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
03

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

3,294 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
04

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

3,027 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
05

Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

2,844 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
06

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

2,567 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
07

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

2,458 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
08

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2,455 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
09

The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

2,157 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
10

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

1,804 occurrences · 1.3% 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 3 failures

£58–£205

If every one of this Hilux'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 10.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Toyota Hilux has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

82.4%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 82.4% — a 10.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 61,529 miles — roughly 54K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, does not clear the windscreen effectively — 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

71.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 71.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 82.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and excessively corroded. Average mileage on test for this band is 115,913 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (82.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (71.9% pass). That's a 10.5-point spread across 106,705 older tests and 27,550 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Toyota Oil Filter Replacement Tool

£29.69

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Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Toyota Super White No. 2 12.5ml

£6.59

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Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Toyota Lucerne Silver Metallic 12.5ml

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Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Toyota Tyrol Silver Metallic 12.5ml

£6.59

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

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Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

4 UK recalls on record.

The Hilux has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Hilux?

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 a Hilux 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.