UK vehicle statistics / Toyota

How many Toyota Starlet cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 2,401 licensed and 3,132 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Toyota Starlet generic-model group.

Looking at a Starlet?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Starlet is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Starlet disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 14,208 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 2,401 in 2026 Q1, down 83%. That is down 50% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,132 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 5,533 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Starlet MOT pass rate

In 2024, 65.5% of 3,032 Toyota Starlet MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

  • Brake Performance — 8.3% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 7.4% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Transmission — 5.2% of tests. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.1% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Toyota Starlet MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Brake Performance — 8.3% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 7.4% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Transmission — 5.2% of tests in 2024. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.1% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 5,533 Starlet vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (3,132 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 83% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 14,208. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Starlet — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q12,4013,132
2025 Q42,4873,091
2025 Q32,6043,025
2025 Q22,6662,996
2025 Q12,6963,022
2024 Q42,7683,062
2024 Q32,9073,115
2024 Q23,0393,141
2024 Q13,0953,154
2023 Q43,1953,126
2023 Q33,3303,069
2023 Q23,5103,029
2023 Q13,5793,037
2022 Q43,7013,038
2022 Q33,8353,002
2022 Q23,9872,997
2022 Q14,0633,031
2021 Q44,2183,026
2021 Q34,4122,982
2021 Q24,6112,984
2021 Q14,8152,960
2020 Q45,0152,945
2020 Q35,2242,880
2020 Q25,3982,865
2020 Q15,6312,851
2019 Q45,9212,748
2019 Q36,2022,671
2019 Q26,4262,659
2019 Q16,7302,643
2018 Q47,0062,637
2018 Q37,2932,560
2018 Q27,6622,498
2018 Q18,0112,498
2017 Q48,3862,477
2017 Q38,7272,408
2017 Q29,1202,389
2017 Q19,4392,371
2016 Q49,8942,323
2016 Q310,2902,189
2016 Q210,8242,085
2016 Q111,2462,072
2015 Q411,6821,929
2015 Q312,1381,770
2015 Q212,6531,671
2015 Q113,0721,588
2014 Q413,5771,483
2014 Q314,2081,381

Other Toyota models

See how many of every Toyota model are left

Common questions

How many Toyota Starlet cars are left in the UK?

2,401 were licensed and 3,132 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Toyota Starlet cars are SORN?

3,132 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 5,533 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Starlet disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 14,208 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 2,401 in 2026 Q1, down 83%. That is down 50% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,132 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 5,533 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Toyota Starlet MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 65.5% of 3,032 Toyota Starlet MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Starlet fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (8.3% of tests), exhaust emissions (7.4% of tests), transmission (5.2% of tests).

Does this say whether one Starlet is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.