Used Toyota Yaris 2020-present reliability

When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.

It's likely that the Yaris will have spent most of its time around urban areas, such as high streets, multi-story car parks and supermarkets, so check for dings in the bodywork caused by minor bumps. It’s also worth looking at the wheels for kerb damage; not only does this look scruffy, but kerb impacts can force the steering out of alignment and can indicate that the suspension has been subjected to heavy impacts.

The emergency calling system (eCall) may not function when required. Number of recalled vehicles: 26,575. Years applicable: 2020, 2021.

There is a possibility that the centre rear seat belt may be damaged a sharp edge of the bracket. Number of recalled vehicles: 4015. Year applicable: 2020.

There is a possibility that the DCM (Data Communication Module) may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off. This will cause the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and make the eCall function unavailable. Number of recalled vehicles: 27,327. Year applicable: 2021.

Click here for more information. Contact your local Toyota dealer if you believe your vehicle is involved in a recall.

The latest Yaris didn't feature in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, but Toyota as a brand ranked second out of 32 manufacturers featured – a confidence-boosting result indeed.

The Toyota Yaris is a reliable car. In our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, it ranked third of 18 in the small car class. Its very impressive reliability score of 98.6% makes it more reliable than the Honda Jazz and only slightly less reliable than the Suzuki Swift and the previous-gen Yaris.

Only 6% of the current-gen Yaris models we were told about suffered an issue, all concerning the engine electrics, and all repairs were free. However, although all of the affected cars remained driveable, the faults put them off the road for more than a week.

As a car brand, Toyota finished 2nd out of 32 manufacturers, only losing the top spot to Toyota-owned Lexus.

Used Toyota Yaris: owners' reliability data

As part of our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, our readers have given us largely positive feedback about their cars, with many owners praising the Toyota Yaris for its dependability. Few mechanical issues have been reported, while those that arose were generally minor and swiftly handled by dealers.

The dealer service saw commendations for efficiency and professionalism, with many readers satisfied by the quick resolution of issues and the courtesy extended by service staff. However, a small number of respondents did mention longer wait times for service appointments, which they felt could be improved. Despite these occasional delays, the consensus among owners is that the Yaris Hybrid offers solid reliability and benefits from strong support from the Toyota dealer network, making it a trustworthy choice.