Toyota Urban Cruiser, Buying guide, MOT record and recalls
In 2025, the Toyota Urban Cruiser passed 69% of 3,552 initial MOT tests, 3.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Urban Cruiser? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Toyota Urban Cruiser at the MOT
69% of 3,552 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Urban Cruiser 368th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Urban Cruisers fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Toyota Urban Cruiser tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (6.3%), rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (4.2%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.2%).
The MOT page lists every common Urban Cruiser MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Urban Cruiser's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.23.7% of Urban Cruiser failure items
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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.23.1% of Urban Cruiser failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.7% of Urban Cruiser failure items
Urban Cruiser engine sizes
1.4 litre engines made up 51% of Toyota Urban Cruiser MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.3 litre at 49%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 3,551 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Toyota Urban Cruiser recalls
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Urban Cruiser is affected.
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Aug 2026 R/2026/321
Title of Recall Rear Door Outside Handle replacement on Urban Cruiser
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- During the manufacturing process of the rear outer door handle an insufficient amount of grease may have been applied to components of the internal linkage. As a result corrosion may develop on an internal spring over time. Which may cause it to bind or seize.
- Remedy
- Replacement of the rear door handles
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Nov 2019 R/2019/333
Incorrectly installed covers could prevent the seat-mounted side airbag from deploying
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Incorrectly installed covers could prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.
- Remedy
- Inspect the covers installed on the front seats and replace any incorrectly installed covers
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Dec 2015 R/2015/206
Risk of fire
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles are equipped with a driver's side Power Window Master Switch (PWMS) containing sliding electrical contact modules. These modules may not have been incorrectly coated during the manufacturing process. This may cause a short circuit which could cause the switch to overheat and melt
- Remedy
- Inspect switch and apply coating. If switch indicates signs of malfunction it should be replaced.
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Jan 2015 R/2014/160
Risk of fire
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Oil may accumulate in the turbo charger and in certain circumstances flow into the combustion chamber. This may cause engine damage. In extreme cases oil can be ejected from the engine and if it comes in contact with an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Depending vehicle diagnosis modify intercooler layout to improve air flow; upgrade ECU software; upgrade turbo charger and/or vacuum pump
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Apr 2014 R/2014/050
Seat rail mechanism could fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The drivers and front passengers seat forward/rearward adjustment mechanism locking spring could fail under repeated operation of the mechanism. The seat may not lock into the adjusted position. If the vehicle is operated with a broken seat rail spring the seat could move in the event of a crash
- Remedy
- Recall all affected vehicles and replace the spring.
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Apr 2014 R/2014/049
Steering column may become unsecured
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The steering column mounting bracket may not be of sufficient strength if the steering is repeatedly and forcibly turned on full lock. This over a prolonged period can result in the failure of the bracket and ultimate detachment of the steering column.
- Remedy
- Recall all affected vehicles and replace the steering column mounting bracket.
Other Toyota models
The most-tested Toyota models in 2025, against the Urban Cruiser's 69% MOT pass rate.
Toyota Urban Cruiser FAQs
Is the Toyota Urban Cruiser 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 69% first-time pass rate for the Toyota Urban Cruiser across 3,552 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Toyota Urban Cruiser had any recalls?
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Toyota Urban Cruiser. The most recent was published in August 2026. 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 Urban Cruiser?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. 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 Urban Cruiser'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 Urban Cruiser?
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. 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.