The picture
Prius: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 175,017 MOT tests, the Prius returns 80.2% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A defective headlamp lens and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 127,641, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
4,859 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 02
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
3,486 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 03
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
3,186 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,967 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 05
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2,648 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade defective
2,452 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
2,138 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 08
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
2,070 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 09
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
2,046 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 10
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
2,022 occurrences · 1.2% 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 4 failures
£158–£450
If every one of this Prius'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
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
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Prius?
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 Prius 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.