2020 Kia Ceed — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Kia Ceed passed 89.2% of its 14,628 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 8.9% of the time, so this is 1.9pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.5%) and visibility (4.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 681 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.0% in the 0-30k band and 16.0% in the 120-150k band, a 8.0-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.9% fail against 13.0% for diesel, a 3.1-point gap across 14,085 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.0% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.5% | 801 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.5% | 657 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 355 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 312 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 123 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 84 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 681 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 356 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 254 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 191 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 154 |
| 6 | Washers | 148 |
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 | 23.7% | 3,471 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.5% | 2,419 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.3% | 1,366 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.6% | 965 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 453 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 161 |
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 | 6,865 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 5,905 | 12.6% |
| 60-90k | 1,390 | 15.4% |
| 90-120k | 353 | 17.0% |
| 120-150k | 94 | 16.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 9,716 | 9.9% |
| Diesel | 4,369 | 13.0% |
| Hybrid | 543 | 10.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 184 | 6.0% |
| 2023 | 4,814 | 9.3% |
| 2024 | 4,811 | 11.4% |
| 2025 | 4,801 | 12.0% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Ceed
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.5% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.5% 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.
- Visibility (4.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.4% 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 2020 Kia Ceeds pass their MOT?
89.2% of the 14,628 2020 Kia Ceed MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Kia Ceed?
Tyres, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by visibility (4.5%).
Does the 2020 Ceed get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.0% in the 0-30k band to 16.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 14,628 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.