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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2014 Suzuki Swift MOT fail rate and common faults

How Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2014 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 40,572 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 11 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 11 (n=10,102)29.1%
All cars at 11 years (n=8,087,514)33.3%
Difference−4.1 pts
MOT tests of 2014 cars, 2022 to 202540,572

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 11 years old, Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2014 failed 29.1% of MOTs (10,102 tests), 4.1 points below the 33.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate moved from 21.7% to 29.1%.
  • Suzuki Swift cars first used a year earlier, in 2013, failed 30.4% at the same age of 11 years (8,811 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Suzuki Swift at 11 years, is rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 3.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2014: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20228 years21.7%10,21223.8%−2.1 pts
20239 years24.4%10,14727.1%−2.8 pts
202410 years27.6%10,11130.3%−2.7 pts
202511 years29.1%10,10233.3%−4.1 pts

Most common faults at 11 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=34,750). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Side/position light not working Wear6.53.2
Brake light not working Wear6.32.4
Wipers not clearing screen Wear3.31.9
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3.10.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.72.8
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear2.51.5
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear2.01.6
Coil spring broken1.53.6
Handbrake too weak1.41.2
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.20.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=34,750). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material16.53.7
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear15.017.6
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear11.38.7
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement8.86.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened8.510.0
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear6.03.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear5.37.8
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive3.54.6
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)3.21.7
Flexible brake hoses: has slight corrosion to ferrule2.70.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=34,750). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 11 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=34,750). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol95.8%30.7%33,29932.5%67,775 miles
Diesel4.2%40.9%1,44834.3%86,017 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 11 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=34,750). At 11 years, Suzuki Swift cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (45.2%, n=1,444) than those at under 30,000 miles (13.9%, n=2,173). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Under 30,000 miles13.9%2,17316.3%
30,000 to 60,000 miles23.4%10,85526.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles33.9%13,63334.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles41.0%6,15337.8%
120,000 to 150,000 miles45.2%1,44438.8%

Car tax rules for a 2014 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Suzuki Swift

Other Suzuki models first used in 2014

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Suzuki Alto (2014)11 years in 202531.6%12,54333.3%
Suzuki SX4 (2014)11 years in 202529.1%6,36533.3%
Suzuki Splash (2014)11 years in 202530.1%3,06733.3%

More on the Suzuki Swift

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2014 Suzuki Swift cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.