2020 Renault Kadjar — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Renault Kadjar passed 89.5% of its 27,310 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.8 percentage points worse than mid-size SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 8.8%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.6%) and lighting & signalling (4.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 985 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.2% in the 0-30k band and 14.3% in the 90-120k band, a 6.1-point spread.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.3% fail against 11.9% for diesel, a 1.6-point gap across 27,310 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.3% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.6% | 1,802 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.0% | 1,095 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.6% | 711 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.9% | 520 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 205 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.2% | 51 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 985 |
| 2 | Wipers | 693 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 469 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 372 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 324 |
| 6 | Washers | 163 |
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 | 26.2% | 7,162 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.4% | 4,197 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.1% | 2,205 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.6% | 721 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.3% | 621 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 2.1% | 576 |
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 | 15,268 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 10,758 | 13.1% |
| 60-90k | 1,192 | 17.0% |
| 90-120k | 84 | 14.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 23,440 | 10.3% |
| Diesel | 3,870 | 11.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 419 | 8.3% |
| 2023 | 9,183 | 9.2% |
| 2024 | 8,644 | 9.6% |
| 2025 | 9,052 | 12.9% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Kadjar
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (4.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.6% 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.
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 Renault Kadjars pass their MOT?
89.5% of the 27,310 2020 Renault Kadjar MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Renault Kadjar?
Tyres, recorded in 6.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.0%).
Does the 2020 Kadjar get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.2% in the 0-30k band to 14.3% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 27,310 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.