Toyota

Which year Toyota Hi Lux is most reliable?

Based on 7,798 vehicles (1980–1997) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Hi Lux at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Hi Lux at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
1990–1993, 1996
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Hi Luxes
Below model average
1980–1984
Lower pass rate than other Hi Luxes — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1980 →
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Dataset
7,798
vehicles · 1980–1997 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1990–1994
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 20.8–39.9% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
1997
14.9%
116
1996
25.9%
196 Recommended
1995
18.2%
292
1994
20.8%
339
1993
30.0%
395 Recommended
1992
39.9%
268 Recommended
1991
34.7%
188 Recommended
1990
27.3%
110 Recommended
1984
0.0%
135 Below avg
1983
0.1%
1,494 Below avg
1982
0.0%
1,353 Below avg
1981
0.1%
1,488 Below avg
1980
0.0%
1,424 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

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At high mileage (169k–+), the 1996 models maintain a 71% pass rate — 10 points higher than 1991 models at the same mileage.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

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