Toyota Avensis Common Faults in the UK

third generation 2009–2018 — large family saloon and estate. Updated 6 October 2026.

This guide covers the third generation 2009–2018 only. Older Avensis generations have different engines and faults — for one of those, see how to check any car for known faults.

The Toyota Avensis passes the MOT first time 4.3 points more often than cars of the same age, and every registration year with enough tests is at or above the average for its year. Its biggest recalls: the accelerator pedal (R/2010/010), the fuel tank (R/2018/340, builds to April 2015), the rear suspension arm (R/2012/085) and, for 2015–2018 cars, the EGR cooler (R/2021/104). What Car? ranked it second among used executive cars in 2023. Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty can restart cover only on a car under 10 years old and 100,000 miles.

Largest DVSA recall for the Avensis: R/2010/010, 174,426 vehicles in the whole recall — Accelerator pedal may fail to return to idle. See the 4 DVSA recalls listed for this model.

MOT pass rate — official DVSA data

81.1% of Toyota Avensis cars registered 2013–2017 pass the MOT first time, 4.3 points above all cars registered in those years (76.8%). These are the cars this guide covers that were 3 to 12 years old when DVSA tested them in 2025, counted from 1,484 DVSA tests; a pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

Counting every registration year DVSA holds for the Toyota Avensis (2004–2017), which includes generations this guide does not cover, 74.1% pass first time, from 5,560 tests.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.

See it by registration year and by mileage ↓

Asking prices — on Autoza

No figure shown

We show one only when at least 10 cars qualify.

Road Tax (UK) — VED, from the second year

£200/yr standard rate

£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).

Fuel Economy — sourced figures only

What Car? gives official lab (NEDC) economy of 67.3 mpg for the 2015–2018 1.6 diesel, 62.8 mpg for the 2.0 diesel and 46.3 mpg for the 1.8 petrol (its March 2019 update); real-world economy will be lower, and we have no sourced real-world figure.

Insurance

Insurance group depends on the engine and trim, so get a quote for the exact registration before you buy.

No asking-price figure is shown: we give the median and middle 80% of asking prices only when at least 10 cars on Autoza qualify — here, Toyota Avensis cars registered 2009–2018. The road tax line comes from GOV.UK's vehicle tax rate tables (2026/27 rates). The fuel economy tile names the source it rests on or says there is no sourced figure, and the insurance tile gives no figure. We do not publish a UK price index, and no figure here should be quoted as one.

Best and worst years to buy

We name a year as a best or worst buy only where the DVSA MOT table further down does not rate it the other way.

Best Years

2013, 2014

DVSA’s MOT table rates 2013 and 2014 registrations level with all cars registered those years, so the case rests on the recall dates: cars built from February 2011 are outside the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085, and cars built before May 2015 are outside the EGR-cooler recall R/2021/104. They are still inside R/2018/340, the fuel-tank emission-canister recall, which covers builds to April 2015.

Worst Years

No standout bad year

No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates every Avensis registration year it can measure (2013 to 2017) level with or above all cars registered that year. The oldest cars carry the oldest recalls: those built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009 are in the accelerator-pedal recall R/2010/010 (DVSA gives one total of 174,426 vehicles for the whole recall, across seven Toyota models) and, to January 2011, the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085. The table has no row for those years, so ask for the car’s record for both.

Known faults — Toyota Avensis third generation 2009–2018

How to read this list. Items marked Safety recall are DVSA safety recalls, shown with DVSA’s own reference. Whether a particular car is affected depends on when it was built: check it by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. Items marked Warranty terms state what the manufacturer’s UK warranty or battery guarantee covers. They are not faults and not service actions: they carry no severity and no repair cost. Everything else in this list is owner-reported: what the UK publication named on each card reports from its owner surveys and tests. Those are worth checking on a viewing, but we hold no count of how many cars have each one, other than any survey share a card itself quotes. Treat an owner-reported item as a question to ask, not a fault this car has.

Accelerator pedal — may fail to return to idle

Safety recall · R/2010/010Large recall — 174,426 vehicles

Symptoms: DVSA wording: condensation on the worn surface of a component in the throttle pedal assembly (the friction device) may mean the accelerator pedal returns slowly or does not return to the idle position. A reinforcing steel bar is fitted in the pedal assembly.
Years affected: Avensis built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009; DVSA gives one total for seven Toyota models
Indicative repair (UK): Free under recall
What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. What Car? says recalled cars had the pedal assembly modified.

Rear suspension — arm may separate after adjustment

Safety recall · R/2012/085Large recall — 65,863 vehicles

Symptoms: DVSA wording: if the rear suspension arm is adjusted as part of a wheel alignment or other repair, backlash can occur and let corrosion develop and the threads deteriorate; ultimately the arm could fail with a loss of control of the vehicle. The arm torque is checked and the arm replaced where necessary.
Years affected: Avensis built 22 October 2008 to 18 January 2011; DVSA gives one total shared with the Auris and RAV4
Indicative repair (UK): Free under recall
What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. If the car has had its wheels aligned since, ask the garage whether the rear arms were adjusted.

Engine — EGR cooler may develop an internal coolant leak

Safety recall · R/2021/104Large recall — 24,241 vehicles

Symptoms: DVSA wording: the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler could develop an internal coolant leak. The cooler is replaced and, if necessary, the inlet manifold. DVSA does not name the engines.
Years affected: Avensis built 6 May 2015 to 4 May 2018; DVSA gives one total shared with the Auris, Corolla and RAV4
Indicative repair (UK): Free under recall
What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. Check the coolant level and look for signs of coolant loss with no visible leak.

Cover — Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty has an age and mileage limit

Warranty terms

Symptoms: Not a fault. Toyota UK says its Service Activated Warranty is applied each time a car has an eligible service at an authorised Toyota dealer and lasts until the next scheduled service, but eligible services are available only until the car turns 10 years old or reaches 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Years affected: All; the age limit means the oldest cars can no longer be brought back into cover
What to check before buying: Work out whether the car is inside both limits (under 10 years old and under 100,000 miles) before counting on Toyota cover, and ask a Toyota dealer to confirm for the VIN.

Interior — scratchy plastics and ignition-slot marks

Owner-reported · frequency unknownMinor — wear-and-tear

Symptoms: What Car? says the dashboard plastics can scratch, and that on T2 and TR models the area around the ignition slot can be marked by the key; push-button start on T4 and T Spirit models avoids that.
Years affected: 2009–2015 cars; check the trim level
What to check before buying: Look at the door-handle panels and the area around the ignition, and at every alloy wheel: if all four are marked, look for other signs of neglect.

More DVSA safety recalls for the Toyota Avensis, largest first

These are the recalls DVSA lists for this model and its build years that the cards above do not already describe: every one of 10,000 or more vehicles, largest first, with DVSA’s own reference and figures. A recall covers only cars built in its dates and within its VIN range — check a particular car by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. “Critical” here means DVSA’s own notice tells owners not to drive the car until it is fixed. It is never a size: “Large” means DVSA lists 10,000 or more vehicles in the recall.

Safety recall · R/2018/340Large recall — 85,909 vehicles
A potential crack could develop in the fuel evaporative emission control unit mounted in the fuel tank
Possible fuel leak from fuel tank.
85,909 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 28 January 2008 and 22 April 2015 · recall launched 21 January 2019

Source: DVSA vehicle recalls file (every recall since 1992), published under the Open Government Licence. Where DVSA gives one figure for a recall that covers several models, it is shown as the whole recall’s total.

Toyota Avensis MOT results by year and mileage

Measured from DVSA’s own MOT test records for tests carried out in 2025, not from owner reports.

By registration year

Against all cars registered in the same year, the MOT pass rate for the Avensis was higher in 1 and level in 4 of the 5 registration years from 2013 to 2017 with enough tests to measure. The widest gap above is 2016 registrations: 85.5% against 79.4%.

Toyota Avensis MOT pass rate by registration year, against all cars registered the same year
Registered	Avensis	All cars that year	Difference
2017255 tests	85.1%	82.2%	+2.9 level
2016345 tests	85.5%	79.4%	+6.1 higher
2015288 tests	80.2%	76.7%	+3.5 level
2014285 tests	77.9%	74.3%	+3.6 level
2013311 tests	76.5%	71.9%	+4.6 level

Only a major or dangerous defect fails an MOT. A minor defect is recorded on the certificate and the car still passes, and an advisory is not a failure at all.

We don’t give a recall count for the Toyota Avensis: whether a recall applies depends on the individual car. Check the one you are looking at by entering its registration on GOV.UK’s vehicle recall checker, and see how to check a car for known faults for the other free checks.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Registration years shown are cars 3 to 12 years old when tested; the smallest rests on 255 tests. A gap is called level when it is under one percentage point or inside the 95% sampling margin for that number of tests. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere

Recommended for

Buyers who want a plain, quiet, reliable family saloon or estate and will check the age and the service record rather than chasing a particular year.

Not recommended for

Anyone who wants an automatic diesel (What Car? says the 2015–2018 diesels had no automatic option) or a car that is engaging to drive.

Alternatives to consider

If the Toyota Avensis doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:

Toyota Avensis: questions buyers ask

What are the most common faults on a used Toyota Avensis in the UK?

What is the best year to buy a used Toyota Avensis in the UK?

Best-buy years: 2013, 2014. DVSA’s MOT table rates 2013 and 2014 registrations level with all cars registered those years, so the case rests on the recall dates: cars built from February 2011 are outside the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085, and cars built before May 2015 are outside the EGR-cooler recall R/2021/104. They are still inside R/2018/340, the fuel-tank emission-canister recall, which covers builds to April 2015.

What years of Toyota Avensis should I avoid in the UK?

No specific year of the third generation 2009–2018 Toyota Avensis is generally avoided. No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates every Avensis registration year it can measure (2013 to 2017) level with or above all cars registered that year. The oldest cars carry the oldest recalls: those built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009 are in the accelerator-pedal recall R/2010/010 (DVSA gives one total of 174,426 vehicles for the whole recall, across seven Toyota models) and, to January 2011, the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085. The table has no row for those years, so ask for the car’s record for both.

How much does a used Toyota Avensis cost in the UK in 2026?

This page gives no figure at the moment: Autoza quotes asking prices only when at least 10 qualifying cars are advertised with a price — here, Toyota Avensis cars registered 2009–2018. Prices vary by mileage, region and trim, so compare several adverts of the same year and mileage band before negotiating.

What is the road tax (VED) on a Toyota Avensis in the UK?

Annual road tax (VED): £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).

What real-world fuel economy does a Toyota Avensis achieve on UK roads?

How does a Toyota Avensis compare to its rivals?

Strong alternatives in the UK: Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb. Choose based on dealer network in your area, parts availability, and your priorities (running cost vs. cabin quality vs. badge).

Who is the Toyota Avensis most suitable for?

Buyers who want a plain, quiet, reliable family saloon or estate and will check the age and the service record rather than chasing a particular year.

Who should NOT buy a Toyota Avensis?

Anyone who wants an automatic diesel (What Car? says the 2015–2018 diesels had no automatic option) or a car that is engaging to drive.

Are there safety recalls on the Toyota Avensis?

DVSA lists 4 safety recalls for the Toyota Avensis that this guide shows or names, the largest first: R/2010/010 (174,426 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 1 November 2008 and 31 December 2009): Accelerator pedal may fail to return to idle; R/2018/340 (85,909 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 28 January 2008 and 22 April 2015): A potential crack could develop in the fuel evaporative emission control unit mounted in the fuel tank; R/2012/085 (65,863 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 22 October 2008 and 18 January 2011): Rear suspension arm may separate. Whether a particular car is affected depends on its build date and VIN, so check its registration on GOV.UK (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy.

Is the Accelerator pedal — may fail to return to idle on the Toyota Avensis a serious problem?

Accelerator pedal — may fail to return to idle on the Toyota Avensis is covered by DVSA safety recall R/2010/010. Symptoms: DVSA wording: condensation on the worn surface of a component in the throttle pedal assembly (the friction device) may mean the accelerator pedal returns slowly or does not return to the idle position. A reinforcing steel bar is fitted in the pedal assembly. Years affected: Avensis built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009; DVSA gives one total for seven Toyota models. Indicative repair cost in the UK: Free under recall. What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. What Car? says recalled cars had the pedal assembly modified.

Is the Rear suspension — arm may separate after adjustment on the Toyota Avensis a serious problem?

Rear suspension — arm may separate after adjustment on the Toyota Avensis is covered by DVSA safety recall R/2012/085. Symptoms: DVSA wording: if the rear suspension arm is adjusted as part of a wheel alignment or other repair, backlash can occur and let corrosion develop and the threads deteriorate; ultimately the arm could fail with a loss of control of the vehicle. The arm torque is checked and the arm replaced where necessary. Years affected: Avensis built 22 October 2008 to 18 January 2011; DVSA gives one total shared with the Auris and RAV4. Indicative repair cost in the UK: Free under recall. What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. If the car has had its wheels aligned since, ask the garage whether the rear arms were adjusted.

Is the Engine — EGR cooler may develop an internal coolant leak on the Toyota Avensis a serious problem?

Engine — EGR cooler may develop an internal coolant leak on the Toyota Avensis is covered by DVSA safety recall R/2021/104. Symptoms: DVSA wording: the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler could develop an internal coolant leak. The cooler is replaced and, if necessary, the inlet manifold. DVSA does not name the engines. Years affected: Avensis built 6 May 2015 to 4 May 2018; DVSA gives one total shared with the Auris, Corolla and RAV4. Indicative repair cost in the UK: Free under recall. What to check before buying: Check this one by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy — an outstanding recall is free to put right and a completed one should be on the service record. Check the coolant level and look for signs of coolant loss with no visible leak.

Check these next

The guide above is about the Toyota Avensis as a model. These are about the car in front of you.

Looking to buy a Toyota Avensis in the UK?

Search Autoza listings filtered by year, mileage, and region. Every dealer page shows the business name, address and contact details, so you can check the business before you enquire.

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