2014 Toyota RAV4 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Toyota RAV4 passed 87.4% of its 35,104 recorded MOT tests. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (18.0% fail rate), the 2014 RAV4 comes out 5.4pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.5%) and tyres (4.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, brake pads and wipers — pins and bushes alone was recorded 1,604 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 20.4% once past 150k — 3.3× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.3% fail against 12.8% for diesel, a 2.5-point gap across 35,102 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 1,949 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.4% | 1,536 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.2% | 1,467 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.9% | 1,369 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.9% | 1,030 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 140 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 1,604 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 977 |
| 3 | Wipers | 875 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 730 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 665 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 623 |
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 | 22.8% | 7,998 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.5% | 7,182 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.4% | 5,065 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.6% | 2,659 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.0% | 1,404 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 933 |
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 | 1,242 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 9,101 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 13,808 | 12.3% |
| 90-120k | 7,669 | 15.3% |
| 120-150k | 2,413 | 18.6% |
| 150k+ | 869 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 31,761 | 12.8% |
| Petrol | 3,341 | 10.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,083 | 10.3% |
| 2022 | 7,062 | 11.4% |
| 2023 | 7,052 | 12.6% |
| 2024 | 6,988 | 13.7% |
| 2025 | 6,919 | 15.0% |
What to check before buying a 2014 RAV4
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.4% 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.
- Brakes (4.2% 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 RAV4s pass their MOT?
87.4% of the 35,104 2014 Toyota RAV4 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Toyota RAV4?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by tyres (4.4%).
Does the 2014 RAV4 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.2% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 35,104 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.