2014 Chevrolet Trax — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Chevrolet Trax passed 80.4% of its 3,100 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (18.3% fail rate), the 2014 Trax comes out 1.3pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 10.3% of tests against 6.7% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, headlamp aim and coil spring — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 234 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 39.4% versus 8.3%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 19.3% of the time against 19.7% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 16.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 10.3% | 321 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 208 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.5% | 138 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.2% | 130 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 113 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 81 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 234 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 146 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 123 |
| 4 | Wipers | 91 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 88 |
| 6 | Track rod end | 83 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.7% | 828 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.4% | 600 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.0% | 588 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 12.2% | 379 |
| 5 | Other defects | 10.2% | 315 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 186 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 168 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 1,080 | 15.4% |
| 60-90k | 1,210 | 22.0% |
| 90-120k | 477 | 23.7% |
| 120-150k | 123 | 27.6% |
| 150k+ | 33 | 39.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,132 | 19.7% |
| Diesel | 960 | 19.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 625 | 16.3% |
| 2022 | 643 | 18.5% |
| 2023 | 618 | 18.8% |
| 2024 | 628 | 22.1% |
| 2025 | 586 | 22.4% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Trax
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 10.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (10.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (6.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.5% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2014 Chevrolet Traxs pass their MOT?
80.4% of the 3,100 2014 Chevrolet Trax MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Chevrolet Trax?
Suspension, recorded in 10.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.7%).
Does the 2014 Trax get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 39.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,100 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.