2004 Toyota RAV4 MOT pass rate: 70.4% (9,890 tests)
Is the 2004 RAV4 getting worse?
Pass rate of 2004-registered cars across recent test years:
| Test year | Pass rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 71.4% +7.5 vs same-age |
|
| 2024 | 70.3% +6.2 vs same-age |
|
| 2025 | 69.4% +4.1 vs same-age |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2004 RAV4
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2,109 | 23.3% |
| 2 | Suspension | 2,047 | 22.6% |
| 3 | Brakes | 1,732 | 19.1% |
| 4 | Noise, emissions and leaks | 1,048 | 11.6% |
| 5 | Body, chassis, structure | 797 | 8.8% |
| 6 | Visibility | 521 | 5.8% |
All RAV4 years compared
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3,016 | 69.4% | +2.8 pts | 119,013 |
| 2002 | 5,746 | 68.8% | +3.1 pts | 118,535 |
| 2003 | 7,983 | 69.7% | +4.7 pts | 115,344 |
| 2004 (this page) | 9,890 | 70.4% | +6.0 pts | 109,793 |
| 2005 | 10,005 | 72.1% | +7.6 pts | 109,206 |
| 2006 | 6,970 | 67.8% | +3.3 pts | 108,946 |
| 2007 | 10,023 | 67.3% | +2.1 pts | 114,582 |
| 2008 | 10,017 | 68.1% | +2.9 pts | 114,034 |
| 2009 | 4,936 | 69.2% | +2.8 pts | 109,100 |
| 2012 | 4,664 | 81.1% | +9.9 pts | 86,134 |
| 2013 | 13,450 | 83.3% | +10.0 pts | 87,952 |
| 2014 | 14,105 | 84.4% | +8.6 pts | 80,872 |
| 2015 | 16,077 | 86.4% | +7.7 pts | 72,127 |
| 2016 | 22,802 | 87.3% | +5.9 pts | 62,448 |
| 2017 | 23,362 | 87.9% | +3.9 pts | 55,038 |
| 2018 | 21,780 | 88.8% | +2.5 pts | 44,066 |
| 2019 | 26,751 | 94.4% | +6.0 pts | 38,915 |
| 2020 | 35,087 | 94.9% | +5.0 pts | 32,991 |
| 2021 | 18,568 | 94.8% | +4.4 pts | 29,417 |
| 2022 | 7,008 | 96.5% | +5.3 pts | 25,612 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Toyota RAV4 years to avoid.
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FAQs
Is a 2004 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
2004-registered examples passed 70.4% of their MOT tests (9,890 tests, 2023–2025), +6.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 22 years old with a median 109,793 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2004 RAV4?
The median tested example shows 109,793 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.