Know Your MOT

MOT failure rate and common problems for the Toyota Vanguard, and how to check your own car by registration.

Updated 05 September 2026.

18.5%fail rate

Toyota Vanguard MOT failure rate

What a Toyota Vanguard fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical40.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Tyres30.0% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Seat belts20.0% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

Suspension20.0% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Other10.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers10.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Toyota Vanguard headlight and indicator bulbsShop Toyota Vanguard headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Toyota Vanguard headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Toyota Vanguard tyresShop Toyota Vanguard tyres on AmazonaffiliateFind Toyota Vanguard tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Toyota Vanguard seat beltsShop Toyota Vanguard seat belts on AmazonaffiliateFind Toyota Vanguard seat belts on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Toyota Vanguard suspension springs and shock absorbersShop Toyota Vanguard suspension springs and shock absorbers on AmazonaffiliateFind Toyota Vanguard suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Toyota Vanguard wiper bladesShop Toyota Vanguard wiper blades on AmazonaffiliateFind Toyota Vanguard wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

All Toyota models MOT failure rates comparedRanked worst to bestToyota Yaris MOT failures22.0% failure rateToyota Corolla MOT failures23.9% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Toyota Vanguard?

It fails 18.5% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 54 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is lamps & electrical, at 40.0% of this model's failures.