2016 Kia Picanto — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2016 Kia Picanto passed 84.9% of its 73,576 recorded MOT tests. Against city cars of a similar age (13.7% fail rate), the 2016 Picanto comes out 1.4pp worse. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (6.1%) and tyres (5.7%) 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 ball joint — wipers alone was recorded 2,578 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 19.1% versus 10.7%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 6.1% | 4,465 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.7% | 4,191 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.5% | 3,321 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.5% | 3,304 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 2.6% | 1,932 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 224 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,578 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 1,914 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 1,718 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 1,547 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 1,513 |
| 6 | Washers | 1,463 |
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 | 25.8% | 19,003 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.5% | 15,093 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.4% | 4,718 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.4% | 3,945 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.7% | 1,957 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 1.0% | 751 |
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 | 32,222 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 32,254 | 17.4% |
| 60-90k | 7,685 | 21.8% |
| 90-120k | 1,190 | 26.2% |
| 120-150k | 174 | 32.2% |
| 150k+ | 47 | 19.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,262 | 11.9% |
| 2022 | 14,605 | 13.7% |
| 2023 | 14,823 | 15.3% |
| 2024 | 14,887 | 16.8% |
| 2025 | 14,999 | 17.6% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Picanto
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 6.1% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (6.1% 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 (5.7% 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.
- Suspension (4.5% 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
How many 2016 Kia Picantos pass their MOT?
84.9% of the 73,576 2016 Kia Picanto MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Kia Picanto?
Brakes, recorded in 6.1% of tests, followed by tyres (5.7%).
Does the 2016 Picanto get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.7% in the 0-30k band to 19.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 73,576 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.