2014 Toyota Avensis — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Toyota Avensis passed 84.2% of its 18,925 recorded MOT tests. Against large family cars of a similar age (18.6% fail rate), the 2014 Avensis comes out 2.8pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.5% of tests against 5.1% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, brake pads and tread depth — position lamp alone was recorded 590 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 20.2% once past 150k — 3.5× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.3% fail against 16.3% for diesel, a 4.0-point gap across 18,912 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.5% | 1,793 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.1% | 963 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.9% | 920 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.7% | 708 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 653 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 255 |
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 | 590 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 488 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 486 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 465 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 452 |
| 6 | Wipers | 413 |
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 | 24.6% | 4,658 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.9% | 4,147 |
| 3 | Suspension | 18.3% | 3,456 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.1% | 1,718 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.9% | 1,502 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.3% | 1,008 |
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 | 403 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 2,651 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 4,466 | 13.8% |
| 90-120k | 3,897 | 16.2% |
| 120-150k | 2,545 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 4,959 | 20.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 16,486 | 16.3% |
| Petrol | 2,426 | 12.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,013 | 13.4% |
| 2022 | 3,937 | 14.2% |
| 2023 | 3,828 | 16.7% |
| 2024 | 3,700 | 17.5% |
| 2025 | 3,447 | 17.6% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Avensis
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 9.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (9.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.1% 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.
- Brakes (4.9% 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.
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 Toyota Avensiss pass their MOT?
84.2% of the 18,925 2014 Toyota Avensis MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Toyota Avensis?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.5% of tests, followed by tyres (5.1%).
Does the 2014 Avensis get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.7% in the 0-30k band to 20.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 18,925 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.