Toyota MR2, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
7,905 Toyota MR2s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 67.8% of initial MOT tests, 4.5 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific MR2? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Toyota MR2 at the MOT
67.8% of 9,718 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the MR2 389th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where MR2s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Toyota MR2 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (8.4%), parking brake performance inoperative on one side (5.2%) and component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4%).
The MOT page lists every common MR2 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The MR2's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.30.1% of MR2 failure items
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.19% of MR2 failure items
-
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks.15.9% of MR2 failure items
Toyota MR2s in the UK
7,905 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 55% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −55%from 17,441 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2002half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2002 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 12,98362% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Toyota MR2s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 17,441 |
| End of 2015 | 16,183 |
| End of 2016 | 14,807 |
| End of 2017 | 13,185 |
| End of 2018 | 11,953 |
| End of 2019 | 10,947 |
| End of 2020 | 9,830 |
| End of 2021 | 9,380 |
| End of 2022 | 8,629 |
| End of 2023 | 7,918 |
| End of 2024 | 7,245 |
| End of 2025 | 6,795 |
| End of June 2026 | 7,905 |
How old they are
Licensed Toyota MR2s by year of first use.
A further 78 were first used before 1987.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 499 |
| 2005 | 560 |
| 2004 | 745 |
| 2003 | 763 |
| 2002 | 649 |
| 2001 | 541 |
| 2000 | 501 |
| 1999 | 95 |
| 1998 | 150 |
| 1997 | 133 |
| 1996 | 125 |
| 1995 | 88 |
| 1994 | 104 |
| 1993 | 168 |
| 1992 | 142 |
| 1991 | 125 |
| 1990 | 124 |
| 1989 | 162 |
| 1988 | 99 |
| 1987 | 81 |
MR2 engine sizes
1.8 litre engines made up 60% of Toyota MR2 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 31%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed MR2s.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 9,714 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Toyota MR2 recalls
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the Toyota MR2. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every MR2 is affected.
-
Apr 2005 R/2004/168
Brake fluid may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an improper washing process of a metal part within the brake master cylinder there is a possibility that the groove for installing the rubber seal ring which is located at the end of the master cylinder may be corroded. In this condition brake fluid may leak from the seal or a small amount of air may enter the master cylinder which could lead to an increase in vehicle stopping distance.
- Remedy
- Vehicles that are likely to be affected will be checked and a quality assured part fitted if necessary.
Other Toyota models
The most-tested Toyota models in 2025, against the MR2's 67.8% MOT pass rate.
Toyota MR2 FAQs
How many Toyota MR2s are there in the UK?
7,905 Toyota MR2s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 12,983 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Toyota MR2 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 67.8% first-time pass rate for the Toyota MR2 across 9,718 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Toyota MR2 had any recalls?
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the Toyota MR2. The most recent was published in April 2005. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Toyota MR2?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Toyota MR2's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an MR2?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Toyota history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Toyota VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.