Used car guide

2015 Toyota RAV4: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Toyota RAV4 first registered in 2015: we looked at the 5,347 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

5,347MOTs of 2015 cars, done in 2025
81%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
7,900typical miles a year
2.1×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2015 Toyota RAV4?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2015 Toyota RAV4 than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2.1× usual
    Toyota RAV4
    14.7% All 2015 cars
    7.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.5%, against 1.4% of all 2015 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.

Better than most

Shock absorbers: 0.8% here, against 5.2% of all 2015 cars. Number plate lights: 1.9% here, against 4.1% of all 2015 cars.

Common 2015 Toyota RAV4 MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2015 Toyota RAV4 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    27% 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.

  • Suspension
    23% 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.

  • Brakes
    23% 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.

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

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Known faults on the 2015 Toyota RAV4

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2015 Toyota RAV4

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 2.1× as often on the 2015 Toyota RAV4 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Toyota RAV4?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Toyota RAV4 compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023251Tyres 7%
202210,279Tyres 19%
202112,327Tyres 22%
202011,662Tyres 23%
20198,888Tyres 25%
20187,371Tyres 29%
20177,832Tyres 26%
20167,645Tyres 26%
20144,631Tyres 28%
20134,414Brakes 31%
20121,541Suspension 35%
2011470Suspension 39%
2010441Suspension 39%
20091,497Suspension 54%
20083,022Suspension 58%
20072,978Suspension 57%
20062,031Suspension 52%
20053,072Brakes 44%
20042,976Brakes 47%
20032,273Suspension 45%
20021,603Brakes 46%
2001854Brakes 45%
2000405Suspension 44%
1999403Suspension 45%
1998485Suspension 42%
1997241Suspension 45%
1996180Suspension 43%
1995135Suspension 39%
1994–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of Toyota RAV4 cars first registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score