2020 Renault Kangoo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 7,260 MOT tests, the 2020 Renault Kangoo recorded an 84.4% pass rate. Against vans of a similar age (14.5% fail rate), the 2020 Kangoo comes out 1.2pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.5% of tests against 6.8% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, wipers and registration plate lamp(s) — stop lamp alone was recorded 463 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.4% versus 11.3%.
The electric cars hold up better: 13.4% fail against 18.2% for diesel, a 4.8-point gap across 7,257 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.9% of tests failed in 2022 against 17.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.5% | 836 |
| 2 | Visibility | 6.8% | 490 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.9% | 432 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.7% | 199 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 104 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.3% | 96 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 463 |
| 2 | Wipers | 431 |
| 3 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 246 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 230 |
| 5 | Washers | 190 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 188 |
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 | 24.3% | 1,761 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.8% | 930 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 8.7% | 632 |
| 4 | Visibility | 7.4% | 537 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.6% | 407 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.8% | 129 |
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 | 3,538 | 11.3% |
| 30-60k | 2,143 | 18.8% |
| 60-90k | 995 | 21.0% |
| 90-120k | 354 | 19.2% |
| 120-150k | 176 | 25.6% |
| 150k+ | 54 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | 3,870 | 13.4% |
| Diesel | 3,387 | 18.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 101 | 6.9% |
| 2023 | 2,333 | 13.7% |
| 2024 | 2,396 | 16.0% |
| 2025 | 2,415 | 17.5% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Kangoo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (6.8% 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 (5.9% 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 2020 Renault Kangoos pass their MOT?
84.4% of the 7,260 2020 Renault Kangoo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Renault Kangoo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.5% of tests, followed by visibility (6.8%).
Does the 2020 Kangoo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.3% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,260 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.