2014 Vauxhall Combo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Vauxhall Combo passed 74.1% of its 33,980 recorded MOT tests. Against vans of a similar age (22.8% fail rate), the 2014 Combo comes out 3.1pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (15.5%) and lighting & signalling (14.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 3,033 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 18.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.4% once past 150k.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 29.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 24.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 28.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.5% | 5,268 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 4,872 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.0% | 2,381 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.6% | 1,892 |
| 5 | Brakes | 5.5% | 1,874 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.1% | 1,399 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 3,033 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,502 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,385 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 1,338 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 1,277 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 1,145 |
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 | 29.5% | 10,011 |
| 2 | Suspension | 23.3% | 7,929 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.1% | 5,479 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 13.0% | 4,415 |
| 5 | Visibility | 10.4% | 3,552 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 9.4% | 3,201 |
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 | 632 | 18.5% |
| 30-60k | 4,219 | 22.3% |
| 60-90k | 9,811 | 24.7% |
| 90-120k | 10,501 | 27.3% |
| 120-150k | 5,822 | 28.1% |
| 150k+ | 2,965 | 27.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 33,902 | 25.9% |
| Petrol | 78 | 23.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,462 | 24.1% |
| 2022 | 7,269 | 25.4% |
| 2023 | 6,938 | 25.8% |
| 2024 | 6,463 | 26.9% |
| 2025 | 5,848 | 28.0% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Combo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 15.5% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (15.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (7.0% 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.
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 Combos pass their MOT?
74.1% of the 33,980 2014 Vauxhall Combo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 25.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Vauxhall Combo?
Suspension, recorded in 15.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (14.3%).
Does the 2014 Combo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 18.5% in the 0-30k band to 27.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 33,980 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.