2016 Kia Carens — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,789 MOT tests, the 2016 Kia Carens recorded an 81.7% pass rate. That is 2.9 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 15.3%. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.7%) and tyres (6.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, stop lamp and rbt (sp) — brake pads alone was recorded 530 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.8% in the 0-30k band and 20.6% in the 150k+ band, a 9.8-point spread.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 18.2% of the time against 18.5% for petrol.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 29.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.7% | 826 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.9% | 741 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.2% | 663 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.0% | 428 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 354 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 177 |
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 | 530 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 319 |
| 3 | Rbt (sp) | 260 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 235 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 234 |
| 6 | Wipers | 215 |
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 | 29.1% | 3,142 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.9% | 3,013 |
| 3 | Other defects | 12.7% | 1,373 |
| 4 | Suspension | 7.7% | 831 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 385 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.0% | 218 |
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 | 1,025 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 4,780 | 16.1% |
| 60-90k | 3,548 | 21.0% |
| 90-120k | 1,076 | 24.6% |
| 120-150k | 223 | 23.3% |
| 150k+ | 136 | 20.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 9,326 | 18.2% |
| Petrol | 1,463 | 18.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,058 | 14.2% |
| 2022 | 2,149 | 16.6% |
| 2023 | 2,166 | 17.9% |
| 2024 | 2,204 | 20.5% |
| 2025 | 2,212 | 21.8% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Carens
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 7.7% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (7.7% 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.
- Tyres (6.9% 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 (6.2% 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 2016 Kia Carenss pass their MOT?
81.7% of the 10,789 2016 Kia Carens MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Kia Carens?
Brakes, recorded in 7.7% of tests, followed by tyres (6.9%).
Does the 2016 Carens get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.8% in the 0-30k band to 20.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,789 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.