Toyota Vitz common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used Toyota Vitz, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 4,620 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
Pick the year
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
What usually goes wrong with a Toyota Vitz?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Toyota Vitz in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
Common Toyota Vitz MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Rear fog light
up to 10.7× usualStands out on cars registered in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Rough price £10–£80 our estimateAt 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 covers
up to 3× usualStands out on cars registered in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.
Toyota Vitz MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2013 Toyota Vitz did best (84% passed first time, 17 points above all 2013 cars) and the 2012 did worst (80%, 16 points above all 2012 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
| Year | Pass first time | All cars that year | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 77% | 85% -8 | 124 (small sample) |
| 2018 | 89% | 83% +6 | 314 (small sample) |
| 2017 | 91% | 80% +11 | 221 (small sample) |
| 2015 | 84% | 74% +10 | 127 (small sample) |
| 2014 | 89% | 70% +19 | 358 (small sample) |
| 2013 | 84% | 67% +17 | 897 |
| 2012 | 80% | 64% +16 | 1,215 |
| 2011 | 78% | 62% +16 | 826 |
| 2010 | 76% | 60% +16 | 194 (small sample) |
| 2009 | 76% | 59% +17 | 229 (small sample) |
| 2008 | 65% | 57% +8 | 115 (small sample) |
Questions to ask the seller before buying a Toyota Vitz
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the rear fog light? (Flagged at MOT 10.7× as often on the Toyota Vitz as on other cars the same age.)
- Any recent work on the link ball joint covers? (Flagged at MOT 3× as often on the Toyota Vitz as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at a Toyota Vitz?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score