Should I check the MOT history before buying a 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Is the 2020 Toyota Yaris reliable?

Based on MOT data from 14,721 vehicles, the 2020 Toyota Yaris has a first-time MOT pass rate of 91.8%, indicating generally reliable for its class. Always check the full MOT history of any specific vehicle before buying.

What are common problems with the 2020 Toyota Yaris?

The most frequently recorded MOT issues on the 2020 Toyota Yaris are: Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (28.3% of vehicles), Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (25.3% of vehicles), Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (21.5% of vehicles). These figures are based on actual MOT test records — search a specific registration on CarHunch to see its individual history.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

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Toyota Yaris (2020)

14,721 real MOT outcomes analysed • 91.8% first-time pass rate

2020 Toyota Yaris

CarHunch analysed 14,721 real MOT records for the 2020 Toyota Yaris. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
Which year to buy? →

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AI Analysis Reliability Overview Common Issues Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Pass Rate by Fuel Mileage Distribution Still on the Road MOT Averages Colour Breakdown Compare Models

The 2020 Toyota Yaris is unusually reliable, with a 91% first-time MOT pass rate that sits well above the UK average of 80%, and only 6.6% of cars ever developing a dangerous defect—a genuinely low concern rate for the market. Both the hybrid (90.5%) and petrol (91.8%) versions perform strongly, so fuel type won't be a deciding reliability factor here.

At an average mileage of 23,670 miles for a 2020 model, these cars have been driven moderately and are still early in their lives—which explains the low failure rate of 0.36 per vehicle. When issues do crop up, they're typically minor advisories (averaging 2.0 per car) rather than failures, so budget for preventative maintenance but don't expect costly surprises; a pre-purchase inspection will catch anything unusual before you commit.

The 2020 Toyota Yaris passes its MOT first time more often than most UK vehicles (91.8% vs ~80% average) — and when it does fail, it's usually something minor and cheap to fix.

⚠️ Around 1 in 20 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.

First-time pass

91.8%

UK average ~80%

Better than average

Dangerous (ever)

6.6%

At least once in MOT history

Check this vehicle

Avg failures / car

0.36

Over 3.5 tests on record

Low

Typical mileage

21k

Middle half: 14k–31k

For context

✅ Good baseline reliability. A 91.8% first-time pass rate puts this well above the UK average — it's a well-sorted vehicle in this age bracket.

🔧 Expect consumable spend. An average of 2 advisories per vehicle tells you wear items (tyres, brakes) get flagged regularly. Budget for them — they're not surprises.

🔍 The dangerous defect figure is real. Most are one-off tyre failures or brake issues — not structural problems. But it's exactly why checking the individual vehicle's history is essential, not optional.

These stats describe 14,721 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

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What tends to go wrong

Across 14,721 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.

Tyre wear 28.3%

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge · Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge · Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing · …

Budget for a full set — on a vehicle this age, tyres are expected consumables. An inspection will confirm how much is left.

Brake wear 7.6%

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened · Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin · Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened · …

Ask the seller when brakes were last serviced. If they don't know, factor in the cost.

Wipers & washers 7.3%

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively

Other issues 4.8%

Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

Suspension & steering 3.6%

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil

Harder to spot without a ramp — this is a good reason to book a pre-purchase inspection.

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2020.

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 14,721 Toyota Yaris cars.

Before you buy a 2020 Toyota Yaris

Based on MOT data from 14,721 vehicles — here's what to check.

📋 Check the full MOT history. 6.6% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection →
📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History Get 20% off via CarHunch

Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type	Vehicles	Pass rate	Avg failures
Hybrid Electric (Clean) (54%)	7,951	91.2%	0.39
Petrol (46%)	6,767	92.4%	0.33

Colour Breakdown

Based on 625,609 Toyota Yaris vehicles registered in the UK — across all years. From DVLA registration records.

Silver 26.3%

164,789

Red 20%

125,121

Blue 17.2%

107,296

Black 10.2%

63,916

Grey 10%

62,531

White 8.9%

55,382

Green 3.5%

21,882

Turquoise 1.2%

7,303

Bronze 1%

6,441

Gold 1%

5,961

Beige 0.7%

4,196

Orange 0.1%

791

Mileage Distribution

Most 2020 Toyota Yaris vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

21,042

typical

13,860

low mileage

30,955

high mileage

Half of all 2020 Toyota Yaris vehicles fall between 13,860 and 30,955 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?

✓ Under 13,860 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.

✓ 13,860–30,955 miles — normal for age. This is where most 2020 Toyota Yariss sit.

⚠ Over 41,789 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

2020 Toyota Yaris — Still on the Road

Almost all 2020 Toyota Yariss are still on the road.

Strong survival — 14,373 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025, 100% of the peak.

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2022–2025.

MOT History Averages

3.5

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

0.36

Avg failures per vehicle

Avg advisories per vehicle

Other model years — Toyota Yaris: All Yaris years → Which year to buy? →

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Or browse all models: Toyota →

Compare with another model

See how the 2020 Toyota Yaris stacks up against a rival.

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