Toyota Celica MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the Toyota Celica took 10,862 MOT tests in Britain and passed 61% of them first time, below the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 10,862
First-time pass rate: 61%
All cars: 71%

What the Celica fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Lights and electrics18.1% (all cars 11.3%)
Brakes13.5% (all cars 6.8%)
Suspension12.7% (all cars 9.0%)
Exhaust and emissions11.2% (all cars 3.1%)
Body and structure8.2% (all cars 3.5%)
Visibility5.5% (all cars 4.8%)
Tyres5.3% (all cars 6.4%)
Seat belts and airbags1.9% (all cars 1.0%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Position lamp: not working 4.9%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 4.9%
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 4.3%
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases 3.6%
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength 3.5%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 3.2%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 3.0%
Stop lamp: not working 2.8%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 14.3%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 13.3%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 12.9%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 11.4%
Coil spring: corroded 9.2%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 8.9%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened 7.4%
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases 7.2%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
1997	329	60%
1998	490	61%
1999	391	63%
2000	522	58%
2001	1,004	61%
2002	1,185	63%
2003	1,549	57%
2004	1,695	60%
2005	1,486	59%
2006	1,065	63%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
16 years	128,671 miles
17 years	102,046 miles
18 years	110,722 miles
19 years	113,999 miles
20 years	118,944 miles

Check a particular Celica

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other Toyota models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.