2017 Kia Venga — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 32,076 MOT tests, the 2017 Kia Venga recorded a 91.5% pass rate. Against MPVs of a similar age (13.6% fail rate), the 2017 Venga comes out 5.0pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.2%) and visibility (4.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 1,253 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.7% versus 6.4%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 8.0% fail against 10.9% for diesel, a 2.9-point gap across 32,076 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.2% | 1,347 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.2% | 1,333 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.6% | 1,144 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.5% | 793 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.5% | 158 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 104 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,253 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 622 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 524 |
| 4 | Washers | 455 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 389 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 389 |
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 | 22.6% | 7,249 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.4% | 5,251 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.7% | 1,816 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.6% | 826 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 378 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.0% | 310 |
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 | 17,289 | 6.4% |
| 30-60k | 12,258 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 2,183 | 14.1% |
| 90-120k | 287 | 16.0% |
| 120-150k | 44 | 22.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 26,094 | 8.0% |
| Diesel | 5,982 | 10.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,346 | 7.1% |
| 2022 | 6,415 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 6,427 | 8.6% |
| 2024 | 6,413 | 9.4% |
| 2025 | 6,475 | 9.6% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Venga
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 4.2% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (4.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.2% 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.
- Tyres (3.6% 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.
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 Vengas pass their MOT?
91.5% of the 32,076 2017 Kia Venga MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Kia Venga?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.2% of tests, followed by visibility (4.2%).
Does the 2017 Venga get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.4% in the 0-30k band to 22.7% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 32,076 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.