2017 Kia Carens — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Kia Carens passed 83.2% of its 10,993 recorded MOT tests. MPVs of a similar age fail 13.6% of the time, so this is 3.2pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.2%) and tyres (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, srs malfunction indicator lamp and wipers — brake pads alone was recorded 572 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2017 Carens fails 13.1% of the time in the 0-30k band and 13.3% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.2 points.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 1.5pp more often than diesel ones (18.0% vs 16.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.2% | 797 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 712 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 548 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.7% | 404 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.7% | 297 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.8% | 195 |
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 | 572 |
| 2 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 268 |
| 3 | Wipers | 243 |
| 4 | Washers | 222 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 216 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 210 |
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 | 27.1% | 2,975 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.8% | 2,726 |
| 3 | Other defects | 11.5% | 1,269 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.5% | 379 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.9% | 313 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 150 |
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 | 1,976 | 13.1% |
| 30-60k | 5,504 | 15.8% |
| 60-90k | 2,602 | 20.3% |
| 90-120k | 624 | 22.0% |
| 120-150k | 189 | 21.2% |
| 150k+ | 98 | 13.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 9,070 | 16.5% |
| Petrol | 1,923 | 18.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,156 | 14.2% |
| 2022 | 2,162 | 14.9% |
| 2023 | 2,199 | 17.2% |
| 2024 | 2,237 | 18.6% |
| 2025 | 2,239 | 18.9% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Carens
On a 2017 Carens, brakes is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 7.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Brakes (7.2% 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 (6.5% 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 (5.0% 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 2017 Kia Carenss pass their MOT?
83.2% of the 10,993 2017 Kia Carens MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Kia Carens?
Brakes, recorded in 7.2% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2017 Carens get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.1% in the 0-30k band to 13.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,993 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.