2014 Toyota Prius — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Toyota Prius passed 90.6% of its 65,051 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (17.7% fail rate), the 2014 Prius comes out 8.4pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.4% of tests against 4.0% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are registration plate lamp(s), position lamp and tread depth — registration plate lamp(s) alone was recorded 3,428 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2014 Prius fails 7.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 10.0% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.0 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 14.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.4% | 7,417 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.0% | 2,634 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.5% | 2,265 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.0% | 1,963 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.6% | 1,697 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 301 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 3,428 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,489 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 2,068 |
| 4 | Rear fog lamp | 1,512 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 1,440 |
| 6 | Wipers | 1,344 |
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 | 14.8% | 9,596 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.2% | 6,628 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.9% | 5,113 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 4.5% | 2,929 |
| 5 | Other defects | 3.9% | 2,535 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.8% | 1,163 |
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 | 1,030 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 7,584 | 7.9% |
| 60-90k | 10,709 | 9.3% |
| 90-120k | 9,687 | 9.3% |
| 120-150k | 9,122 | 9.0% |
| 150k+ | 26,894 | 10.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 64,416 | 9.4% |
| Other | 292 | 6.9% |
| Electric | 226 | 8.8% |
| Petrol | 117 | 10.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,685 | 7.4% |
| 2022 | 12,510 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 13,052 | 9.2% |
| 2024 | 16,065 | 9.8% |
| 2025 | 12,739 | 11.9% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Prius
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.4% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.0% 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 (3.5% 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 Toyota Priuss pass their MOT?
90.6% of the 65,051 2014 Toyota Prius MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Toyota Prius?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.4% of tests, followed by tyres (4.0%).
Does the 2014 Prius get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 10.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 65,051 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.