Kia Picanto common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 190,252 initial MOT tests on the Kia Picanto in Great Britain, and 71.4% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Kia Picanto at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 190,252
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 71.4%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.4% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 28.6%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.4%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 6,531 off the road (SORN): 223,484

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Picanto fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Brakes
9.6%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
9.1%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Suspension
6.9%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Tyres
6.5%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Visibility
6.1%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Body, chassis and structure
3.1%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
2.9%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Steering
1.4%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.1%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.2%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Brake performanceBrakes6.6%
ConditionTyres4.5%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.5%
Suspension armsSuspension3.1%
WashersVisibility3.1%
WipersVisibility3.1%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks2.8%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.1%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	735	91.3%	2.9%
2022	10,290	88.3%	3.5%
2021	10,857	86.1%	4.1%
2020	8,893	85.9%	4.2%
2019	17,560	84.2%	3.8%
2018	16,357	82.6%	4.5%
2017	13,258	80.2%	5.5%
2016	12,521	74.8%	7.0%
2015	13,592	73.7%	7.4%
2014	14,384	69.6%	8.4%
2013	12,551	64.1%	8.5%
2012	12,843	59.8%	9.9%
2011	10,164	57.2%	11.1%
2010	12,264	55.9%	11.1%
2009	11,751	54.0%	10.7%
2008	2,816	52.2%	11.1%
2007	2,224	50.5%	13.2%
2006	3,087	47.6%	14.3%
2005	2,758	49.4%	15.3%
2004	1,336	50.0%	12.9%

Mileage

Picanto mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	14,100 miles	8,731
3 years	18,100 miles	10,609
4 years	22,100 miles	9,265
5 years	24,900 miles	14,436
6 years	31,000 miles	16,649
7 years	36,100 miles	12,944
8 years	39,500 miles	12,759
9 years	45,000 miles	13,055
10 years	50,400 miles	13,713
11 years	56,000 miles	13,177
12 years	62,600 miles	12,473
13 years	66,600 miles	11,624
14 years	65,000 miles	10,210
15 years	64,700 miles	14,037
16 years	68,300 miles	5,744
17 years	68,200 miles	2,552
18 years	70,800 miles	2,629
19 years	71,300 miles	3,063
20 years	71,600 miles	2,146
21 years	73,600 miles	279

Checking a particular Picanto?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Kia Picanto: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Kia Picanto?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Kia Picanto was brakes: 9.6% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.4% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (9.1%) and suspension (6.9%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Picanto?

71.4% of 190,252 initial MOT tests on the Kia Picanto in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.4% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Kia Picanto is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 7.4% of initial tests on the Kia Picanto found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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