2009 Kia Carens — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2009 Kia Carens passed 70.8% of its 8,706 recorded MOT tests. Against MPVs of a similar age (26.9% fail rate), the 2009 Carens comes out 2.3pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.9%) and brakes (15.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), ball joint and position lamp — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 701 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.8% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 28.3% fail against 29.9% for diesel, a 1.5-point gap across 8,706 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 37.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 28.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 30.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.9% | 1,470 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.1% | 1,313 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.7% | 1,279 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.4% | 649 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.8% | 507 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 376 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 701 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 670 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 554 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 527 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 457 |
| 6 | Linkage ball joints | 381 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 37.8% | 3,289 |
| 2 | Tyres | 33.3% | 2,895 |
| 3 | Brakes | 32.7% | 2,849 |
| 4 | Other defects | 12.0% | 1,048 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 853 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 9.4% | 821 |
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 | 108 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 950 | 21.2% |
| 60-90k | 2,784 | 28.1% |
| 90-120k | 3,130 | 31.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,376 | 32.3% |
| 150k+ | 355 | 31.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,861 | 29.9% |
| Petrol | 3,845 | 28.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,342 | 28.6% |
| 2022 | 2,046 | 29.8% |
| 2023 | 1,744 | 28.3% |
| 2024 | 1,441 | 29.5% |
| 2025 | 1,133 | 30.6% |
What to check before buying a 2009 Carens
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 16.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (16.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (15.1% 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 (14.7% 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
How many 2009 Kia Carenss pass their MOT?
70.8% of the 8,706 2009 Kia Carens MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 29.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2009 Kia Carens?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.9% of tests, followed by brakes (15.1%).
Does the 2009 Carens get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.2% in the 0-30k band to 31.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,706 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.