2014 Hyundai i40 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 22,823 MOT tests, the 2014 Hyundai i40 recorded a 79.7% pass rate. Against large family cars of a similar age (18.6% fail rate), the 2014 i40 comes out 1.7pp worse. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.6%) and lighting & signalling (7.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, brake pads and service brake performance — track rod end alone was recorded 1,348 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.5% versus 9.9%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 29.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.6% | 1,963 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 1,713 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.4% | 1,467 |
| 4 | Steering | 5.8% | 1,327 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 748 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 654 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 1,348 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 1,131 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 852 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 766 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 749 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 621 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 29.7% | 6,782 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.8% | 6,347 |
| 3 | Other defects | 10.5% | 2,407 |
| 4 | Suspension | 8.8% | 2,006 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 7.9% | 1,801 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.7% | 1,070 |
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 | 324 | 9.9% |
| 30-60k | 3,597 | 16.5% |
| 60-90k | 7,693 | 20.0% |
| 90-120k | 6,185 | 21.6% |
| 120-150k | 3,054 | 22.1% |
| 150k+ | 1,965 | 23.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,763 | 18.1% |
| 2022 | 4,707 | 19.5% |
| 2023 | 4,655 | 20.6% |
| 2024 | 4,476 | 21.7% |
| 2025 | 4,222 | 22.0% |
What to check before buying a 2014 i40
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.6% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% 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.
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 i40s pass their MOT?
79.7% of the 22,823 2014 Hyundai i40 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Hyundai i40?
Brakes, recorded in 8.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (7.5%).
Does the 2014 i40 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.9% in the 0-30k band to 23.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 22,823 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.