Used car guide

2010 Toyota Avensis: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2010 Toyota Avensiss, from 5,053 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

5,053MOT tests in 2025
64%pass first time (all 2010 cars: 59%)
8,100typical miles a year
1.7×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2010 Toyota Avensiss than on all cars registered in 2010.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.7× usual
    Toyota Avensis
    18.3% All 2010 cars
    11%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.7%, against 2.2% of all 2010 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Headlights1.7× usual
    Toyota Avensis
    11.7% All 2010 cars
    6.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.6%, against 3.6% of all 2010 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

  • Individual direction indicators2.4× usual
    Toyota Avensis
    7.9% All 2010 cars
    3.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.4%, against 1.3% of all 2010 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Link ball joint covers2.5× usual
    Toyota Avensis
    6.9% All 2010 cars
    2.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.1%, against 1.6% of all 2010 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Corroded fuel pipes7.4× usual
    Toyota Avensis
    3.7% All 2010 cars
    0.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0% of all 2010 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

Better than most

Engine oil leaks: 3.3% here, against 10.2% of all 2010 cars. Shock absorbers: 2.2% here, against 7.8% of all 2010 cars.

By area

The share of 2010 Toyota Avensis MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    46% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    37% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    35% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Tyres
    32% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    9% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Rust and bodywork
    8% of testsRough price £150–£1,000

    At the viewing: Check the sills, wheel arches and underneath for rust, and look along the panels for uneven gaps or paint.

Looking at a Toyota Avensis?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20181,138Tyres 28%
20172,423Tyres 25%
20163,484Tyres 27%
20153,062Tyres 29%
20142,903Suspension 33%
20132,993Suspension 35%
20124,509Suspension 38%
20114,129Suspension 42%
20094,696Suspension 50%
20084,497Suspension 46%
20074,215Suspension 49%
20063,746Suspension 47%
20052,887Suspension 49%
20042,084Suspension 45%
20031,569Suspension 40%
2002679Brakes 36%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2010 Toyota Avensiss registered in 2010. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score