Kia Carens MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 24 model years and 101,305 tests, the Kia Carens passes its MOT 76.9% of the time. Against MPVs of a similar age (20.1% fail rate), the Carens comes out 3.0pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Carens years
Ranked across Carens years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2018 cars pass 84.8% of the time while 2005 cars manage 60.9%, a 24.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.1%) and brakes (10.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, rbt (sp) and stop lamp — brake pads alone was recorded 4,692 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.6% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 23.0% of the time against 23.4% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 30.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Carens model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 46 | 65.2% | 34.8% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2001 | 107 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 84 | 69.0% | 30.9% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 645 | 62.8% | 37.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 1,021 | 62.3% | 37.7% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 1,589 | 60.9% | 39.1% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 2,827 | 62.4% | 37.6% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 4,356 | 66.8% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 8,488 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 8,706 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 2,477 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,624 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 707 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 8,860 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 13,708 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 13,218 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 10,789 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 10,993 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Brakes |
| 2018 | 9,594 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 459 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.1% | 11,190 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.9% | 11,072 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.8% | 7,918 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.0% | 7,123 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.4% | 4,466 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 2,498 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.4% | 2,390 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.5% | 1,518 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 4,692 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 4,570 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 4,433 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 3,470 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 3,092 |
| 6 | Wipers | 2,932 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 2,865 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 2,809 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 30.4% | 30,784 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.4% | 29,747 |
| 3 | Suspension | 18.3% | 18,530 |
| 4 | Other defects | 12.6% | 12,807 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 6,848 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.5% | 5,522 |
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 | 7,758 | 11.8% |
| 30-60k | 28,497 | 17.4% |
| 60-90k | 32,923 | 24.3% |
| 90-120k | 21,362 | 29.0% |
| 120-150k | 7,881 | 31.0% |
| 150k+ | 2,868 | 30.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 77,889 | 23.0% |
| Petrol | 23,409 | 23.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23,354 | 22.7% |
| 2022 | 21,645 | 22.8% |
| 2023 | 20,254 | 23.1% |
| 2024 | 18,691 | 23.3% |
| 2025 | 17,361 | 23.7% |
What to check before buying a Kia Carens
- Lighting & signalling (11.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.9% 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.
- Suspension (7.8% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Carens?
76.9% of the 101,305 Kia Carens MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.1% fail rate, across model years 2000–2023.
What does the Kia Carens most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.1% of tests, then brakes (10.9%).
Which Carens years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 84.8% and 2005 the weakest at 60.9%, from 9,594 and 1,589 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Carens MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.6% for 150k+, a 18.9-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Carens more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 23.0% of the time against 23.4% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 101,305 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.