2016 Toyota RAV4 2.5L Hybrid electric (clean) · MB54 MLB

A clear pattern emerges in the DVSA history of this 2016 Toyota RAV4: the vehicle has passed every MOT test since first registration, with no recorded failures or dangerous defects, but a cluster of repeat advisories on the rear axle points to a developing wear trend. The most recent test on 13 May 2026 recorded five advisories, four of which related to the rear suspension and braking system, including an offside rear suspension arm pin or bush showing wear and both rear brake discs showing pitting and scoring. This follows an almost identical advisory pattern from the 20 May 2025 test, where both rear brake pads were noted as wearing thin alongside the same pair of pitted rear discs, plus a nearside rear tyre worn on the edge. The 2024 and 2023 tests were notably cleaner, with only light front brake disc wear flagged in 2024 and a fully clean record in 2023, suggesting the rear axle wear has accelerated over the last twenty-four months rather than being a long-standing chronic issue. Against a ten-year age, the recorded mileage of 90,402 equates to an average accumulation of roughly 9,040 miles annually, which is a broadly typical usage profile for a family SUV of this vintage. There are no unusual gaps in the testing history and no evidence of extended periods off the road, so the mileage and MOT data correlate consistently. A vehicle driven at this rate will generally experience normal wear on consumable items such as brake pads, discs, tyres and suspension bushes, which aligns with the advisory pattern observed. The absence of any mileage-recorded structural, exhaust, or underbody corrosion advisories across all eight tests is a positive indicator for a car now entering its second decade of service, though a physical inspection of the sills, subframe, and brake pipe runs remains prudent on any ten-year-old vehicle. For a prospective buyer, the rear-end wear trend should be the primary focus of any pre-purchase inspection. The repeated advisories on the rear brake discs being pitted and scored suggest the caliper guide pins or sliding mechanisms may be binding, causing uneven pad wear and disc surface deterioration; on a test drive, listen for any scraping or grinding on light brake application and feel for a pulsing or uneven pedal through the rear axle. The offside rear suspension arm pin or bush advisory warrants careful attention to knocking or clonking noises from the rear over speed humps, undulating surfaces, and during sharp direction changes, as worn bushes in the trailing or lateral links can allow excessive wheel movement and accelerate rear tyre wear. A borescope or torch check of the rear disc faces should confirm the severity of the corrosion, and the parking brake mechanism should be tested for firm holding on an incline, given the scoring noted on the discs. The rear tyre wear-on-edge advisory from both 2025 and 2026 is consistent with the suspension component wear and may also indicate a tracking or geometry issue that has developed, so a four-wheel alignment check should be considered alongside any suspension rectification. The nearside rear brake pads were flagged as wearing thin in 2025, and while not raised in 2026, the discs were still noted as pitted, meaning pad material may have been reduced further in the intervening twelve months. A physical check of pad thickness through the caliper window, or removal of the wheels for direct inspection, is advisable given that pads can pass from advisory to replacement requirement within a single annual cycle. The front axle, by contrast, has been relatively trouble-free, with only light brake disc wear noted in 2024, and no advisories on the front end in either of the last two tests. There are no recorded advisories relating to exhaust emissions, corrosion, steering play, or any structural or safety-critical component across the entire MOT history, and with the rear-end issues addressed, this RAV4 presents a fundamentally sound mechanical foundation.