2017 Kia Ceed — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 49,750 MOT tests, the 2017 Kia Ceed recorded an 86.9% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 11.9% of the time, so this is 1.2pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.9%) and lighting & signalling (4.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 1,455 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 20.8% once past 150k — 2.7× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.3% fail against 13.6% for diesel, a 2.4-point gap across 49,749 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 2,960 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 2,047 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.8% | 1,888 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.6% | 1,802 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.6% | 1,287 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 275 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,455 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,439 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,229 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 1,139 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 954 |
| 6 | Washers | 797 |
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 | 25.6% | 12,745 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.4% | 9,660 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.6% | 3,785 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.3% | 3,659 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 1,637 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 949 |
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 | 8,980 | 7.7% |
| 30-60k | 23,698 | 12.3% |
| 60-90k | 12,003 | 15.9% |
| 90-120k | 3,571 | 19.0% |
| 120-150k | 955 | 19.7% |
| 150k+ | 542 | 20.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 38,691 | 13.6% |
| Petrol | 11,058 | 11.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,055 | 10.0% |
| 2022 | 9,861 | 11.7% |
| 2023 | 9,854 | 12.9% |
| 2024 | 9,979 | 15.1% |
| 2025 | 10,001 | 15.7% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Ceed
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.9% 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 (4.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.8% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£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 Ceeds pass their MOT?
86.9% of the 49,750 2017 Kia Ceed MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Kia Ceed?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.1%).
Does the 2017 Ceed get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.7% in the 0-30k band to 20.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 49,750 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.