Kia Picanto MOT pass rate & common failures
The Kia Picanto appears in 1,074,971 MOT tests spanning model years 2004–2024, and 81.0% of them passed. That is 1.1 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 17.9%. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst Picanto years
Ranked across Picanto years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 92.4% of 2020 examples pass against 68.4% of 2006 ones.
No single area dominates — brakes (8.3%) and lighting & signalling (7.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, rbt (sp) and position lamp — wipers alone was recorded 41,354 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.0% in the 0-30k band and 35.7% in the 150k+ band, a 26.7-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 25.7% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Picanto model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 14,646 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 28,421 | 69.1% | 30.9% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 31,743 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 20,554 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 22,641 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 88,189 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 88,666 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 70,440 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 85,163 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 79,575 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 87,057 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 80,141 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 73,576 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 74,310 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Visibility |
| 2018 | 88,684 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 76,479 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 28,918 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 23,380 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 11,580 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 796 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.3% | 89,501 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.4% | 79,518 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.8% | 62,083 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.3% | 57,177 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.3% | 56,643 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.8% | 30,233 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 26,457 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 11,347 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 41,354 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 38,968 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 36,560 |
| 4 | Washers | 26,440 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 26,057 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 26,054 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 25,271 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 25,060 |
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 | 25.7% | 275,946 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.0% | 247,482 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.9% | 138,985 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.4% | 68,517 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 59,338 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 58,371 |
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 | 352,659 | 9.0% |
| 30-60k | 392,054 | 19.5% |
| 60-90k | 229,665 | 27.6% |
| 90-120k | 79,978 | 32.0% |
| 120-150k | 16,858 | 33.7% |
| 150k+ | 3,497 | 35.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,074,804 | 19.0% |
| Diesel | 161 | 27.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 195,045 | 19.0% |
| 2022 | 209,927 | 18.5% |
| 2023 | 216,833 | 18.9% |
| 2024 | 223,357 | 19.5% |
| 2025 | 229,809 | 19.1% |
What to check before buying a Kia Picanto
- Brakes (8.3% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.8% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Picanto?
81.0% of the 1,074,971 Kia Picanto MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.0% fail rate, across model years 2004–2024.
What does the Kia Picanto most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 8.3% of tests, then lighting & signalling (7.4%).
Which Picanto years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 92.4% and 2006 the weakest at 68.4%, from 28,918 and 31,743 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Picanto MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.7% for 150k+, a 26.7-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,074,971 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.