2014 Vauxhall Meriva — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Vauxhall Meriva passed 82.2% of its 46,300 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.2 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 19.1%. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (8.3%) and tyres (5.8%) 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 3,832 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.9% versus 11.3%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.4% fail against 20.3% for diesel, a 2.9-point gap across 46,300 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 8.3% | 3,848 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.8% | 2,695 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 2,630 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.5% | 1,605 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 1,428 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 965 |
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 | 3,832 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,315 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,118 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 912 |
| 5 | Wipers | 868 |
| 6 | Washers | 775 |
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 | 27.0% | 12,510 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.9% | 7,812 |
| 3 | Other defects | 9.2% | 4,236 |
| 4 | Suspension | 8.7% | 4,037 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.8% | 3,131 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.5% | 3,013 |
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 | 6,572 | 11.3% |
| 30-60k | 21,965 | 16.3% |
| 60-90k | 13,239 | 20.9% |
| 90-120k | 3,653 | 25.2% |
| 120-150k | 705 | 25.8% |
| 150k+ | 160 | 26.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,339 | 17.4% |
| Diesel | 6,961 | 20.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,135 | 14.4% |
| 2022 | 9,243 | 15.9% |
| 2023 | 9,412 | 18.1% |
| 2024 | 9,226 | 19.1% |
| 2025 | 9,284 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Meriva
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 8.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (8.3% 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.
- Tyres (5.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.7% 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 Merivas pass their MOT?
82.2% of the 46,300 2014 Vauxhall Meriva MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Vauxhall Meriva?
Suspension, recorded in 8.3% of tests, followed by tyres (5.8%).
Does the 2014 Meriva get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.3% in the 0-30k band to 26.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 46,300 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.