2014 Vauxhall Agila — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Vauxhall Agila passed 84.5% of its 20,601 recorded MOT tests. Against city cars of a similar age (17.4% fail rate), the 2014 Agila comes out 1.9pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.9%) and brakes (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, wipers and coil spring — ball joint alone was recorded 891 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 30.3% versus 8.0%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.9% | 1,631 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.5% | 1,342 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 960 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.1% | 843 |
| 5 | Tyres | 2.7% | 564 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 161 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 891 |
| 2 | Wipers | 864 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 579 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 515 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 478 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 425 |
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 | 24.0% | 4,952 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.9% | 4,518 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.8% | 2,646 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.3% | 1,098 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.8% | 782 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 706 |
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 | 6,509 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 9,511 | 16.4% |
| 60-90k | 3,550 | 23.2% |
| 90-120k | 856 | 28.7% |
| 120-150k | 139 | 28.1% |
| 150k+ | 33 | 30.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,955 | 10.9% |
| 2022 | 4,100 | 13.5% |
| 2023 | 4,170 | 15.6% |
| 2024 | 4,218 | 18.3% |
| 2025 | 4,158 | 18.9% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Agila
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.9% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.9% 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.
- Brakes (6.5% 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 (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 Vauxhall Agilas pass their MOT?
84.5% of the 20,601 2014 Vauxhall Agila MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Vauxhall Agila?
Suspension, recorded in 7.9% of tests, followed by brakes (6.5%).
Does the 2014 Agila get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.0% in the 0-30k band to 30.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,601 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.