Toyota GR Yaris review - Reliability and safety

With Toyota’s reputation for reliability and the level of engineering that’s gone into producing the GR Yaris, we’d expect the hot hatch to be a dependable car. Our latest Driver Power customer satisfaction survey would seem to back this up, with the fourth-generation Yaris finishing in 43rd place out of 75 cars and the Prius, RAV4 and Corolla models all in the top 20. Toyota itself placed 6th out of 30 manufacturers, while sister company, Lexus, took top spot.

The GR Yaris probably won’t be crash tested by Euro NCAP due to its relatively low production volume, and it’s worth noting that the GR does not carry-over the standard model’s full five-star safety rating as it’s been so comprehensively modified. 

All cars have a strong list of safety kit, however, including adaptive cruise control, Lane Trace Assist, Road Sign Assist, Brake Assist and Emergency Steering Assist, while the Convenience Pack adds a Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a Blind Spot Monitor and front and rear parking sensors.

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Warranty

All Toyota models are covered by a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty which, when compared to Ford and Honda’s three years standard cover, is particularly reassuring.

Servicing

All Toyota models have a servicing schedule which alternates between interim and full services. A standard (non GR) car should be serviced every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes soonest, switching between interim and full services every year.

With the GR Yaris the schedule is every 6,000 miles or 12 months. So, the first service will be an interim, and the second, at 12,000 or 24 months from registration, will be a full service, and so on throughout the ownership period.

Toyota also recommends a safety check on brake and clutch fluid every six months. This can be carried out alongside a service, depending on mileage.