Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: Intervals, Fitment & Warning Signs

On the Yaris, a genuinely valuable diagnostic technique: swapping a coil to a different cylinder reveals whether it's genuinely faulty.

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: confirm via engine code — aftermarket NGK 96210 / Bosch 0 242 129 529

Accuracy note: Covers the Toyota Yaris (XP130 2011-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Spark plugs are engine-specific — thread size (M12 vs M14), reach, heat range, electrode type (copper, platinum, iridium) and gap all change between engines in the same car, and the catalogue listings below cover every petrol engine in the generation without always saying which plug fits which. Match the plug to your engine code (on the V5C or the engine cover), fit a full set of the same type, and use the maker's gap and torque. Genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one.

Petrol engines in this generation	1.0 (KSP130) 69/72 HP; 1.3 (NCP130) 86 HP; 1.3 (NSP130) 95/99 HP; 1.3 4WD (NSP135) 95 HP; 1.5 (NCP131) 107/109 HP; 1.5 (NSP131) 112 HP; 1.8 GRMN (NSP131) 212 HP. Hybrid: 1.5 Hybrid (NHP130) 101 HP. Diesel 1.4 D (NLP130) has no spark plugs.
Spark plugs (aftermarket)	NGK 96210 (iridium, gap 0.8 mm, M12x1.25, hex 14); NGK 4912 (iridium, M12x1.25, hex 14); Bosch 0 242 129 529 (gap 1.1 mm, M12x1.25, hex 14); Bosch 0 242 230 533 (gap 1.1 mm, M14x1.25, hex 16); Denso FC16HR-Q8 (iridium, platinum earth, M12x1.25); Denso IXEH20TT and IXEH22TT (iridium TT, M12x1.25); Denso IK16TT / IKH16TT (iridium TT, M14x1.25); Champion OE261 (iridium, gap 0.7 mm, M12x1.25)
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	Denso FC16HR-Q8 = 90919-01289
Fitment notes	Two thread families appear: M12x1.25 14 mm hex iridium (NGK 4912/96210, Denso FC16HR-Q8/IXEH20TT) and M14x1.25 16 mm hex plugs (Bosch 0 242 230 533, Beru UPT14P, Champion CET14P, Denso IKH16TT); plugs are not matched to individual engines, so confirm by engine code. Only Denso U20FS-U (nickel) is a non-iridium/platinum item

A Genuinely Valuable Diagnostic Technique Worth Knowing — Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs

If you're getting a persistent misfire fault code pointing to a specific cylinder and want to confirm whether the coil itself is genuinely at fault, this is worth trying: physically swap the coil from the suspect cylinder with a coil from a different cylinder position, then clear the codes and drive again. If the fault code now follows the coil to its new position, the coil itself is genuinely faulty. If the fault code stays with the original cylinder position, the coil isn't the problem.

A genuinely useful, money-saving clarification worth knowing: ignition coils are not considered a scheduled maintenance item — if your coils are showing no fault codes and the engine runs smoothly, there's genuinely no need to replace them preemptively just because you're already doing the spark plugs.

It's also worth knowing about a genuinely real, somewhat distinctive pattern: an intermittent misfire that seems to worsen specifically in wet weather, and settles down after sitting in a dry garage overnight, often points toward moisture affecting a connector rather than a genuine fault with the coil or plug itself.

Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: A Cheap Part That Causes Expensive-Feeling Problems

A worn set of spark plugs in the Toyota Yaris doesn't make itself obvious: idle roughens slightly, acceleration loses a bit of urgency, and both symptoms are easy to blame on something else entirely. Given how inexpensive the part is, it often gets neglected for far longer than it should.

Before you buy: plug type and gap specification vary by engine size and generation. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: How to Replace Spark Plugs - Toyota Yaris 1.3L (2011-2020)

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Matches XP130 years. German XP130 hybrid alternative: djz46kOeoME.

Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs reference plate

Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: What They Do

Every combustion cycle in the Toyota Yaris's petrol engine starts with a spark plug igniting the compressed fuel-air mixture, and their condition shapes efficiency, economy and smoothness directly. Diesel versions don't need them at all, relying purely on compression to ignite fuel.

Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: Generations, Engines & Spark Plug Count

1.0/1.5 petrol (standard trims, current generation)	Genuinely only 3 spark plugs — Toyota's current small-capacity engines are three-cylinder, not four; don't assume 4 without checking
1.33/1.4 petrol (older generations)	4 spark plugs — a conventional four-cylinder engine used on earlier Yaris generations, genuinely different from the newer 3-cylinder units
GR Yaris (1.6 turbo, G16E-GTS)	Also genuinely only 3 spark plugs — this is a completely different, race-derived three-cylinder engine producing up to 300hp, one of the highest specific outputs of any production car engine; despite the huge performance gap from the standard 1.0/1.5, it's still a 3-cylinder unit, not a 4

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Toyota Yaris Spark Plugs: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Spark Plugs Guide for symptoms of worn plugs, why matching your exact plug specification matters, and trusted brands to buy from.

More Toyota Spark Plugs

The same part, covered across other Toyota models.