All generations and engines together · 4,697 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 99k
One of the worst people carriers to buy at this age, but one of the best per mile driven. Watch suspension and lights & electrics. One to judge on its mileage rather than its age, and worth it only if its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
On 2008-2015 (240 series) cars, MOT advisories for the front anti-roll bar drop links and suspension bushes crop up again and again, sometimes flagged at several MOTs running before an owner finally gets them sorted. Buyers notice a knock over bumps or steering that feels vague and wandery at low speed. Suspension is already the standout measured fault category for this model, and this is the part of it owners actually talk about; the parts themselves are cheap once sourced, so it is mostly a labour bill, typically well under £200 a side.
On the 3.5-litre V6 (350) cars from the 2008-2015 generation, owners have reported the thermostat sticking shut, with the cooling fans working overtime and coolant temperature climbing well above normal. It gets complicated further because several owners found aftermarket replacement thermostats do not open correctly for this engine, so it needs a genuine Toyota part and the correct bleed procedure or an airlock persists. A straightforward thermostat job is a low hundreds of pounds repair; a water pump or radiator on top pushes it higher.
Some owners of later petrol Alphards report the automatic transmission jerking or hunting in low gears, occasionally dropping into limp mode with the engine warning light on and revs flaring or sticking high, sometimes with a metallic rumble from the transmission area. It has turned up on cars bought only months before the report, so it is not clearly tied to mileage, and no confirmed fix or repair cost has been posted on the owners' forum yet. Treat any hesitation or harsh kickdown on a test drive as a reason to get it checked by a specialist before buying.
Higher trims fitted with the optional electronic air suspension (rather than conventional coil springs and struts) can develop leaking air springs or a failing compressor, most commonly reported from roughly 80,000-120,000 miles. The tell is the car sitting noticeably lower on one corner or leaning, or the compressor running almost continuously trying to hold ride height. It does not affect standard coil-sprung cars, but diagnosis needs a Toyota-level scan tool, and an air spring plus labour on one corner typically runs into four figures.
Nearly every UK Alphard arrived as a Japanese import, and how well the underside was resealed on arrival varies a lot between importers. Owners report corrosion showing up on the underbody and sills within a few years in the UK's wetter climate, and it turns up as a recurring theme on cars with a poor MOT advisory history. Fixing it ranges from a straightforward re-underseal to structural welding if it has been left, so it is worth checking underneath in person rather than trusting the paperwork.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,583 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (MPVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.