Renault Kangoo MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 42 model years and 391,208 tests, the Renault Kangoo passes its MOT 71.9% of the time. That is 3.2 percentage points worse than vans of a similar age, which fail at 24.9%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Kangoo years
Ranked across Kangoo 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: 2020 cars pass 84.4% of the time while 2000 cars manage 65.4%, a 19.0-point spread.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.2% of tests against 11.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are joints, track rod end and rigid brake pipes — joints alone was recorded 24,645 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 15.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 32.5% once past 150k — 2.1× the risk.
The electric cars hold up better: 15.9% fail against 29.0% for diesel, a 13.0-point gap across 314,379 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 33.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Kangoo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 57 | 66.7% | 33.3% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1999 | 479 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 1,569 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 3,874 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 7,664 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 11,242 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 16,393 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 18,906 | 68.8% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 20,523 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 25,194 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 21,879 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 15,937 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 35,786 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 39,143 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 23,474 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 16,833 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 22,956 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 27,391 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 22,617 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 15,804 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 15,478 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 15,453 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 7,260 | 84.4% | 15.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 4,544 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 604 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 122 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.2% | 63,190 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.3% | 44,089 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.2% | 40,003 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.5% | 29,517 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.5% | 29,259 |
| 6 | Steering | 7.0% | 27,359 |
| 7 | Tyres | 6.2% | 24,387 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 9,956 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 24,645 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 22,707 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 20,857 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 20,725 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 20,189 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 19,302 |
| 7 | Wipers | 18,242 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 17,087 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 33.8% | 132,282 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.5% | 111,337 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 17.0% | 66,404 |
| 4 | Suspension | 16.8% | 65,522 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.8% | 45,979 |
| 6 | Visibility | 9.2% | 35,838 |
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 | 29,603 | 15.7% |
| 30-60k | 69,209 | 23.5% |
| 60-90k | 88,120 | 27.7% |
| 90-120k | 85,292 | 30.5% |
| 120-150k | 63,718 | 32.2% |
| 150k+ | 54,773 | 32.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 297,314 | 29.0% |
| Petrol | 76,825 | 27.5% |
| Electric | 17,065 | 15.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 83,279 | 28.1% |
| 2022 | 82,659 | 28.1% |
| 2023 | 79,726 | 28.1% |
| 2024 | 75,674 | 28.2% |
| 2025 | 69,870 | 28.0% |
What to check before buying a Renault Kangoo
- Lighting & signalling (16.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.3% 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.
- Brakes (10.2% 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.
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 Renault Kangoo?
71.9% of the 391,208 Renault Kangoo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.1% fail rate, across model years 1983–2024.
What does the Renault Kangoo most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.2% of tests, then suspension (11.3%).
Which Kangoo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 84.4% and 2000 the weakest at 65.4%, from 7,260 and 1,569 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Kangoo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 15.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.5% for 150k+, a 16.9-point difference.
Is the electric or diesel Kangoo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 15.9% of the time against 29.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 391,208 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.