2018 Toyota Yaris 1.5L Petrol · LR18 LMK

A single Dangerous failure for a seized offside front brake on 28 March 2023 sits at the centre of this vehicle's otherwise clean DVSA record, and any prospective buyer needs to weigh that event carefully. The car was re-presented the following day and passed with no defects recorded, and the four tests since then (March 2023, December 2023, November 2024 and December 2025) have all been clean passes with no advisories. The earlier 2022 and 2021 tests were also clean, aside from two minor tyre advisories in 2021. Mechanically, the pattern suggests that the offside front brake caliper or mechanism that was binding in early 2023 has remained serviceable for nearly three years and roughly 35,000 miles of subsequent use, but a seized caliper is the kind of defect that can recur if the slider pins or handbrake mechanism were not properly refurbished rather than just freed off, so the area warrants close physical inspection rather than blind confidence in the recent clean paperwork. With 75,320 miles recorded across eight years, this Yaris is averaging around 9,400 miles per year, which is broadly typical for its age and gives no real cause for concern regarding long-term storage degradation or conversely excessive motorway wear. There are no unusually long gaps between tests that would suggest extended off-road periods, and the mileage progression through the recorded tests is steady and consistent with normal private use. At this annual rate, the typical service items such as brake fluid, coolant and the timing chain or belt interval for the 1.0 or 1.5 litre engine fitted to this generation should have been attended to on schedule, although the MOT history alone cannot confirm what servicing has actually been carried out. Given the documented offside front brake binding and the accompanying advisory noting excess heat damage to the offside front brake disc, particular attention should be paid to that corner on any inspection. On a test drive, listen for any continuous scraping or grinding from the offside front wheel, feel for the vehicle pulling to the left under braking, and check that the offside front wheel spins freely and without resistance when jacked up with the caliper released. Heat-damaged discs can also cause brake pedal pulsation or judder under firm application, so a progressive brake test from around 40 mph is worthwhile. The 2023 advisory for a TPMS warning light also merits checking, as a stuck sensor or low tyre pressure can mask uneven wear between the axles, and the 2021 advisory for a slightly worn nearside front tyre outer edge points to the need to verify current camber and tracking on the front axle. The remaining record is free of advisories relating to corrosion, suspension components, exhaust integrity, steering play or structural items, which is a positive sign for a 2018 vehicle approaching the age where underside corrosion typically begins to appear on Japanese hatchbacks operated in winter conditions. Nonetheless, a careful underbody examination is still advisable, paying particular attention to the front subframe mounting points, rear axle beam, brake lines along the chassis and the exhaust downpipe and catalytic converter heat shield. With the brake system history in mind and otherwise unremarkable paperwork, the vehicle presents as roadworthy on the documented evidence, but the prospective buyer should treat the offside front brake as the one component where the record demands hands-on verification rather than reliance on the recent clean passes alone.