Toyota MR2
Registered from 1990 to 2010.
About this model
The Toyota MR2 is a two-seater sports car which was manufactured and marketed by Toyota from 1984 until 2007 over three generations. It was the first Japanese rear-mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive production car and was sold around the world. The first generation (W10) was produced from 1984 to 1989, the second generation (W20) from 1989 to 1999, and the third generation (W30) from 1999 to 2007.
From the Wikipedia article Toyota MR2, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2003 1.8 petrol. 357 of 1,472 tests failed, 24%.
Better than 74% of 2003 cars. The typical one fails 28%, across 639 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 61% | 219 |
| Lights and electrics | 33% | 118 |
| Suspension | 31% | 109 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 29% | 102 |
| Tyres and wheels | 13% | 45 |
| Visibility | 10% | 36 |
The defects inspectors cite
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Parking brake inoperative on one side
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Where it stands out against its peers
- Brakes: failed more often than 96% of 2003 cars — 61% of its 357 failed tests, where an ordinary 2003 car has 39%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Brakes — 61% of its failures
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Parking brake inoperative on one side
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
- Suspension — 31% of its failures
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- Exhaust and emissions — 29% of its failures
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
- Tyres and wheels — 13% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 33% of its failures
- Visibility — 10% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 140–160k miles this one fails 35% of its inspections, against the 31% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–40k miles | 10% | 17% | 77 | |
| 40–60k miles | 19% | 22% | 186 | |
| 60–80k miles | 24% | 25% | 322 | |
| 80–100k miles | 24% | 28% | 351 | |
| 100–120k miles | 28% | 29% | 282 | |
| 120–140k miles | 30% | 30% | 133 | |
| 140–160k miles | 35% | 31% | 80 |
1,431 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 80k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.