What year Toyota Starlet is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1999 Toyota Starlet has the highest pass rate at 77.5%, out of 3,143 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Toyota Starlet MOT failures?

The most common Toyota Starlet MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Toyota Starlet — Reliability by Year

31,712 vehicles · MOT data 1985–1999 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Toyota Starlet was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

1999

77.5% pass rate · 3,143 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1991

66.9% pass rate · 303 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1999	77.5%	68,036 mi	3,143
1998	76.0%	71,498 mi	9,463
1997	75.3%	75,098 mi	9,557
1996	75.0%	78,985 mi	4,594
1995	71.4%	87,473 mi	1,030
1994	70.7%	91,122 mi	1,209
1993	69.3%	92,755 mi	758
1992	68.8%	93,359 mi	459
1991	66.9%	93,210 mi	303
1990	69.4%	86,296 mi	279
1989	67.5%	76,032 mi	155
1988	67.0%	80,496 mi	149
1987	69.1%	79,288 mi	216
1986	67.4%	73,986 mi	203
1985	68.4%	75,563 mi	194

Which year Toyota Starlet is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests.

Tests range from an average of 68,036 miles (newest year) to 93,359 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Toyota Starlet.

See the buying guide →

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Check any UK registration — free MOT history and risk insights.