Pick a petrol or hybrid Mk3 Toyota Yaris (2011 to 2017), checking a 1.33 isn't burning oil, and skip any 2005 to 2011 car with the MMT automatic, whose actuator and clutch can fail from 22,000 miles.
12 known faults, 8 rated high severity in our database; owners report 54.0 mpg, 92% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Paste the Toyota Yaris advert and we read it against its 12 known faults, the MOT history and the DVLA record, then tell you what to ask the seller and what to look at on the day. Free, about a minute, no card.
Check a Toyota Yaris advert (free) →A petrol or hybrid Mk3 (2011 to 2017) is the Yaris to buy, because its most serious known faults belong to the 1.4 D-4D diesel, whose particulate filter clogs between 18,000 and 70,000 miles and whose engine has failed outright on 2011 to 2014 cars. The 1.33 petrol isn't clear of trouble, though: carbon builds up around its piston rings on 2009 to 2015 engines and it can burn a litre of oil every 1,000 miles, so check the dipstick.
A Mk2 (2005 to 2011) is a gamble with the MMT automatic, which fails its actuator, clutch or control unit anywhere between 22,000 and 112,000 miles, dropping into neutral on the move or refusing to select a gear. Manual Mk2s have their own faults: the 1.33 from 2009 to 2011 can break its piston rings, its six-speed gearbox has given selection trouble, and the 1.0 three-cylinder's water pump fails at around 3 years old.
On a Mk1 (1999 to 2005), don't buy the Freetronic automatic clutch, which can lose its fluid through the accumulator seals and stop selecting gears with no warning light, and treat the 1.0 VVT-i with care, as its timing chain has snapped without warning past 40,000 miles. Nothing's been reported against the 2020 car either way, so treat it as an unknown rather than as proof it's trouble-free.
The hybrid and the 1.33 petrol are the Mk3 engines to go for, and the 1.33 is the one to check: carbon around its piston rings on 2009 to 2015 engines makes it burn oil between 50,000 and 90,000 miles, and on 2009 to 2011 engines failed rings have sometimes wrecked the engine. Pull the dipstick, ask how often it's been topped up, and don't buy one that puffs blue smoke when you accelerate. On a 2011 car, check the six-speed manual selects cleanly too.
Avoid the 1.4 D-4D diesel. On 2011 to 2017 cars its particulate filter doesn't regenerate properly, fills with ash and lets diesel into the sump so the oil level rises, bringing warning lights, forced regenerations and sudden power loss between 18,000 and 70,000 miles. On 2011 to 2014 cars the engine itself has failed from 40,000 miles with clouds of white smoke, and one owner's 2011 car needed a new short engine twice.
The 1.0 engines are chain-driven, so oil changes matter. On a Mk1, the 1.0 VVT-i's timing chain has snapped without warning past 40,000 miles, with dirty oil a suspect, while the later 1.0 three-cylinder (1KR-FE) has no scheduled chain replacement but can stretch its chain and rattle from cold if the oil's been neglected. On 2005 to 2011 cars that engine's water pump fails between 30,000 and 60,000 miles, so listen for a growl.
Skip the MMT automatic on any 2004 to 2011 Yaris: its actuator, clutch and control unit fail, leaving the car stuck in neutral or dropping out of gear on the move, with a red cog light on the dash. The Mk1's Freetronic clutch is no better. The 1.33 six-speed manual from 2009 to 2011 has given selection trouble and crunching between 40,000 and 90,000 miles, and older 1.3 five-speed boxes have had selector faults.
Drive any MMT or Freetronic car before anything else, since the gearbox decides whether it's worth having. A 2004 to 2011 MMT that drops into neutral, won't pick up first or reverse, flares its revs without pulling, or shows a red cog light has a failing actuator or clutch. On a Mk1 Freetronic, check the level in the clutch fluid reservoir, because a leak past the accumulator seals doesn't bring up any warning light.
Pull the dipstick on every engine. A low level on a 1.33 points to oil burning, and blue smoke under acceleration or misfires from fouled plugs back it up, while a level above the maximum on a 1.4 D-4D means diesel's getting into the sump from failed filter regenerations. From cold, listen for a chain rattle on a 1.0 three-cylinder and a growl from its water pump, and look for white smoke from a D-4D.
Look at the back of a 2008 to 2012 Yaris on level ground: one that sits unevenly or clunks from the rear over bumps points to a snapped coil spring, which fails the MOT. On a Mk2, feel the carpets for damp and sniff for a musty smell, as blocked ventilation well drains let rainwater in and upset the wipers and blower. On a Mk1, check for rust around the rear springs and suspension arms, and clonks from split anti-roll bar bushes.
Ask for oil change invoices on any 1.0, receipts for MMT actuator, clutch or software work, and proof of recall work: the front seat lock spring on 2005 to 2010 cars, head restraints and side airbags on 2005 and 2006 cars, the power steering motor on 2010 to 2012 cars and the strut top bearing on 2015 cars. On a 1.4 D-4D, a history of repeated forced regenerations at a dealer is the filter fault in writing.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
A manual Mk1 is worth a look once you've checked its rear suspension and the oil change history of its 1.0 VVT-i, whose timing chain can snap without warning past 40,000 miles, but the Freetronic automatic clutch isn't one to take on: fluid escapes past its accumulator seals, gear selection goes completely and no warning light comes on. Owners have been told the actuator was faulty and the control unit needed replacing when the seals were the real problem. It's a four-star-plus Euro NCAP car, too.
Oil is the thing to ask about on any Mk1. After 40,000 miles VVT-i engines have been known to get through up to a litre every 600 miles, and their timing chain cover gaskets leak oil as well. Early D-4D diesels up to 2002 can eventually blow their head gaskets, and petrols built in France from 2000 at first had panels that didn't line up and clutch release bearings that ran dry.
Underneath, the rear suspension is the weak area. Rear suspension arm bushes are a regular MOT failure, rust gathers around the rear springs and arms, and anti-roll bar bushes crack after about 4 years, clonking over bumps. Rear discs corrode on cars that don't get braked hard, the radiator rusts where stones chip it, and low-mileage petrols rot their rear exhaust boxes. A few CV joints have failed, and some gearboxes whine.
Mk1 recalls covered a brake proportioning valve that could unsettle the car under braking on 1999 and 2000 cars, loose rear axle and hub bolts on 2001 cars, an airbag connector on 2001 cars, and rear brake lines that could freeze and leak in severe cold on 2000 to 2002 cars. Ask for proof they were done, and on cars with alloys, make sure the locking wheel nut and space saver spare are there.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Yaris 52.2 mpg.
The MMT automatic is the Mk2's biggest problem: its actuator and clutch fail anywhere from 22,000 to 112,000 miles, and owners have reported cars disengaging drive and failing again straight after a repair. One owner's 2008 1.3 MMT gave up on the way home from the dealer, then again after a mechanic's adjustment. Dealers offered a free software update that smooths the changes and adds a creep function, so ask whether it's been done.
From 2009, the 1.33 Dual VVT-i petrol brings its own risks. Piston rings on 2009 to 2011 engines have failed between 25,000 and 90,000 miles, getting through a litre every 600 to 2,000 miles and sometimes wrecking the engine: one owner paid £1,302, after a goodwill contribution, when a ring broke on a fully Toyota-serviced 25,000-mile 2009 car. Its six-speed manual has had gear selection problems, and one 2009 1.3 TR's manual gearbox failed.
The 1.0 three-cylinder's water pump fails between 30,000 and 60,000 miles, often at around 3 years old, and it starts with a growl from the engine bay. Rear coil springs snap on 2008 to 2012 cars between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and blocked ventilation well drains let rainwater flood in and damage the electrics. Clutches on manuals haven't always disengaged fully, crunching between first and reverse, and timing chain cover gaskets leak oil.
Diesel Mk2s have their own faults: dual mass flywheels fail and get diagnosed as worn clutches, and Toyota sells a kit that swaps the 1.4 D-4D's turbo oil feed and return pipes where carbon has choked them. It's a five-star Euro NCAP car, and recalls covered front seat lock springs on 2005 to 2010 cars and head restraints and side airbags on 2005 and 2006 cars, so ask for proof they were done.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Yaris 52.2 mpg, Toyota Yaris 54.5 mpg.
The Mk3's weak spot is the 1.4 D-4D diesel, whose particulate filter doesn't regenerate properly on 2011 to 2017 cars, filling with ash and raising the sump oil level between 18,000 and 70,000 miles. One owner paid £275 for a forced regeneration and oil change on a 2015 car at 18,000 miles, and an independently serviced 28,000-mile 2012 car had its warning light back 29 days after the dealer's regenerations.
The 1.33 petrol can burn oil as carbon builds up around its piston rings on 2009 to 2015 engines, usually between 50,000 and 90,000 miles, getting through a litre every 1,000 miles with blue smoke and misfires. One owner paid £1,000 for a new clutch and thrust bearing on a 2012 1.33 SR with fairly few miles on it, and a 2012 1.33 CVT with 65,000 miles on it had a front coil spring snap.
Hybrids have had smaller faults reported, including an anti-trap electric window that closed on a passenger's arm and wouldn't release, an indicator stalk that didn't self-cancel and satnav mapping errors. A 2016 1.3 CVT was hard to restart when hot, and the cabin plastics look cheap. It's a five-star Euro NCAP car from 2017, and a recall covered strut top mounting bearings on 2015 cars that big bumps could damage, so ask for proof.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Yaris 54.5 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Toyota Yaris advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 54.0 mpg across the Toyota Yaris engines with data, about 92% of the official figure, from 2,133 submissions.
Toyota Yaris Real MPG by engine →The Mk1 steers and handles well and has a roomy interior, and its tall seats mean older people can get in and out without a struggle. The back seat slides forward, the central digital speedometer's clear to read, and it's an easy car to repair when something does need doing.
The Mk3 has plenty of room for passengers in the back. The 2020 Yaris is a smart-looking car you'd actually want to own, and it's easy and relaxed to drive day to day while still being fun when you feel like pressing on.
Pick a petrol or hybrid Mk3 Toyota Yaris (2011 to 2017), checking a 1.33 isn't burning oil, and skip any 2005 to 2011 car with the MMT automatic, whose actuator and clutch can fail from 22,000 miles. Our database holds 12 known Toyota Yaris faults, 8 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
A petrol or hybrid Mk3 (2011 to 2017) is the Yaris to buy, because its most serious known faults belong to the 1.4 D-4D diesel, whose particulate filter clogs between 18,000 and 70,000 miles and whose engine has failed outright on 2011 to 2014 cars. On the fault record the Mk1 (1999 to 2005) carries 2 known faults against 7 on the Mk2 (2005 to 2011). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Toyota Yaris faults by generation.
Drive any MMT or Freetronic car before anything else, since the gearbox decides whether it's worth having. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Toyota Yaris fault before you travel.
Owners report 54.0 mpg on average, about 92% of the official figure, from 2,133 submissions. Chain (1KR-FE, 1.0 VVT-I): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Toyota Yaris Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Toyota Yaris buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 138 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
The Toyota Yaris is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
Looking at a Toyota Yaris right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.