2016 Toyota Yaris 1.3L Petrol · CF16 YKM

The 2016 Toyota Yaris presents a broadly stable mechanical picture at its most recent MOT on 16 January 2026, when it passed at 56,841 miles with only a minor lighting defect. The tester flagged a single inoperative nearside rear registration plate lamp, a trivial electrical issue that does not reflect on the car's structural or mechanical health. Across the five-year record from January 2022 through January 2026, every test resulted in a pass, which speaks to a baseline level of roadworthiness being maintained. The maintenance trend is neither clearly worsening nor dramatically improving; it is essentially flat, with minor recurring tyre advisories forming the only consistent pattern. The mileage accumulation tells a story of genuinely light use. Between 16 January 2026 and 15 January 2022, the car covered just 20,314 miles across four full years, averaging roughly 5,078 miles annually. That sits well below the typical UK annual figure of around 8,000 to 12,000 miles for a vehicle of this class. The increments between tests are steady and unremarkable, with no sudden jumps that would suggest long motorway slogs or, conversely, extended periods of dormancy. There are no gaps in the annual MOT cycle, which at least confirms the car was kept on the road and tested each year without lapse. The one recurring theme across the record is tyre condition. In January 2023, both front tyres were worn close to the legal limit and worn on edge, indicating either deferred replacement or possible alignment and suspension geometry issues causing uneven wear. Then in both January 2024 and January 2025, advisories appeared for both rear tyres being perished and cracked, suggesting the rears aged out rather than wore out, which is typical of a car doing short trips in damp British conditions. A prospective buyer should inspect all four tyres carefully, checking the date codes against the sidewall, and examine the inner edges for feathering or camber wear that could point to worn suspension bushes or tracking misalignment. The front tyre wear pattern in 2023 in particular warrants a close look at front suspension components, including drop links, anti-roll bar bushes, and strut top mounts, as well as a four-wheel alignment check. Beyond tyres, the record is notably clean. No braking defects, exhaust emissions failures, suspension structural concerns, or corrosion warnings appear at any point. The single lighting fault in 2026 is a minor bulb or wiring issue. A buyer should still carry out a thorough in-person inspection of the underside for rust, particularly around subframes and suspension mounting points, given the car's age. Brake discs and pads deserve attention given the low mileage, as light use can cause disc corrosion and pad glazing that a standard MOT visual check may not fully reveal. The overall picture, however, is one of a lightly used small hatchback that has been kept legally roadworthy, with tyre upkeep being the only area where previous owners appear to have cut corners.