2014 Hyundai i20 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Hyundai i20 passed 83.4% of its 78,070 recorded MOT tests. Superminis of a similar age fail 19.5% of the time, so this is 2.9pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.1% of tests against 5.7% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and wipers — position lamp alone was recorded 3,528 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.0% once past 150k — 3.3× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 16.4% fail against 22.3% for diesel, a 6.0-point gap across 78,063 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.1% | 7,853 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.7% | 4,454 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.2% | 4,076 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.1% | 3,960 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.1% | 3,183 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 1,454 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 3,528 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,379 |
| 3 | Wipers | 2,469 |
| 4 | Washers | 2,198 |
| 5 | Ball joint dust cover | 2,028 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,892 |
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 | 26.1% | 20,373 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.9% | 18,654 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.3% | 8,042 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.1% | 5,584 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 4,679 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 2,505 |
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 | 10,920 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 35,875 | 14.6% |
| 60-90k | 22,926 | 20.4% |
| 90-120k | 6,606 | 24.8% |
| 120-150k | 1,330 | 28.3% |
| 150k+ | 407 | 27.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 75,129 | 16.4% |
| Diesel | 2,934 | 22.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,326 | 13.1% |
| 2022 | 15,468 | 14.5% |
| 2023 | 15,750 | 16.9% |
| 2024 | 15,777 | 18.6% |
| 2025 | 15,749 | 19.7% |
What to check before buying a 2014 i20
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 10.1% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (10.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (5.2% 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 Hyundai i20s pass their MOT?
83.4% of the 78,070 2014 Hyundai i20 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Hyundai i20?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.1% of tests, followed by brakes (5.7%).
Does the 2014 i20 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 27.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 78,070 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.