MOT cost .
Toyota Corolla
MOT 2023
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Toyota

Corolla

102,791 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Corollas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.0 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

71.7%

Pass-after-fix

7.6%

Fail

20.0%

Avg miles

95,232

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Corolla: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 102,791 MOT tests, the Corolla returns 71.7% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a defective headlamp lens. A number-plate lamp out and headlamp aim out of spec round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 95,232, 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.

  1. 01

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    6,844 occurrences · 6.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    5,717 occurrences · 5.6% of tests

  3. 03

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    4,105 occurrences · 4.0% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    2,834 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  5. 05

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    2,731 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  6. 06

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    2,579 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  7. 07

    Wiper blade defective

    2,573 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  8. 08

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    2,496 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  9. 09

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    2,311 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  10. 10

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    2,124 occurrences · 2.1% 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

£48–£240

If every one of this Corolla'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 →

Try the calculator

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

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 02 · 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 03 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Corolla?

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 Corolla 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.