Kia Venga MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 13 model years and 278,865 tests, the Kia Venga passes its MOT 83.5% of the time. Against MPVs of a similar age (18.7% fail rate), the Venga comes out 2.1pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, steering and suspension.
Best and worst Venga years
Ranked across Venga 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2019 cars pass 93.8% of the time while 2010 cars manage 72.6%, a 21.2-point spread.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.2% of tests against 5.1% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, position lamp and stop lamp — track rod end alone was recorded 15,737 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 32.1% versus 6.5%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 14.6% fail against 21.9% for diesel, a 7.3-point gap across 278,852 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Venga model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 162 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 20,122 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 28,765 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 32,444 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 35,248 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 32,730 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 35,058 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 31,285 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 32,076 | 91.5% | 8.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 19,581 | 93.5% | 6.5% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 11,389 | 93.8% | 6.2% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.2% | 25,740 |
| 2 | Steering | 5.1% | 14,149 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.6% | 12,761 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.3% | 12,017 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 10,930 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.9% | 10,808 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 2,917 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 2,324 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 15,737 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 11,800 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 8,035 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 7,082 |
| 5 | Washers | 6,424 |
| 6 | Wipers | 6,365 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 5,576 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 4,933 |
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 | 24.1% | 67,298 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.1% | 61,592 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.5% | 31,920 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.0% | 22,398 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 14,135 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.3% | 12,089 |
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 | 74,207 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 107,826 | 14.9% |
| 60-90k | 64,240 | 24.2% |
| 90-120k | 24,290 | 29.6% |
| 120-150k | 6,514 | 31.3% |
| 150k+ | 1,771 | 32.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 204,968 | 14.6% |
| Diesel | 73,884 | 21.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53,182 | 14.2% |
| 2022 | 56,306 | 15.1% |
| 2023 | 57,005 | 16.9% |
| 2024 | 56,380 | 17.9% |
| 2025 | 55,992 | 18.5% |
What to check before buying a Kia Venga
- Lighting & signalling (9.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Steering (5.1% of tests): Play, leaks or worn track rod ends — affects handling and is a safety item. Typical repair: £150–£500.
- Suspension (4.6% 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 Venga?
83.5% of the 278,865 Kia Venga MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.6% fail rate, across model years 2009–2021.
What does the Kia Venga most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.2% of tests, then steering (5.1%).
Which Venga years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 93.8% and 2010 the weakest at 72.6%, from 11,389 and 20,122 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Venga MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.1% for 150k+, a 25.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Venga more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 14.6% of the time against 21.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 278,865 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.