2014 Ford Focus — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Ford Focus passed 80.9% of its 459,959 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (17.5% fail rate), the 2014 Focus comes out 1.6pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.9% of tests against 6.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, coil spring and position lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 23,405 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 24.9% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.4% fail against 21.2% for diesel, a 3.8-point gap across 459,954 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 15.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.9% | 54,688 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.4% | 29,520 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.4% | 29,540 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.5% | 16,014 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.1% | 14,075 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.8% | 12,776 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 23,405 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 19,657 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 17,454 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 15,931 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 9,218 |
| 6 | Washers | 9,031 |
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 | 27.8% | 128,014 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.0% | 78,150 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.5% | 57,495 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.2% | 46,803 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.8% | 12,924 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 12,877 |
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 | 21,112 | 10.4% |
| 30-60k | 134,196 | 14.8% |
| 60-90k | 174,362 | 20.1% |
| 90-120k | 88,605 | 23.3% |
| 120-150k | 29,200 | 24.2% |
| 150k+ | 12,226 | 24.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 248,904 | 17.4% |
| Diesel | 211,050 | 21.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 90,740 | 15.7% |
| 2022 | 92,452 | 17.6% |
| 2023 | 93,447 | 19.5% |
| 2024 | 92,188 | 20.5% |
| 2025 | 91,132 | 22.3% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Focus
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.4% 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.
- Suspension (6.4% 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.
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 Ford Focuss pass their MOT?
80.9% of the 459,959 2014 Ford Focus MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Ford Focus?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.9% of tests, followed by tyres (6.4%).
Does the 2014 Focus get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.4% in the 0-30k band to 24.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 459,959 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.