Kia Picanto MOT Check

MOT pass rates, common failures, and reliability data for the Kia Picanto. Check any Picanto by registration number below.

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71.8%

Avg Pass Rate

-14.4%

vs Kia Avg

Year Ranges

Average

Reliability

Kia Picanto — MOT Reliability Overview

The Kia Picanto has an average MOT pass rate of 71.8%, which is 14.4 percentage points below the Kia brand average of 86.2%. This is a reasonable result that reflects typical UK reliability standards. Regular servicing and addressing advisories promptly will help keep your Picanto on the road.

The most common reasons a Kia Picanto fails its MOT are the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. If you are preparing your Picanto for its MOT, checking these areas first could save you a retest fee. Our detailed fault analysis includes estimated repair costs for each failure type.

Typical mileage for the Picanto is around 28,000 miles at 5 years. When evaluating a used Picanto, compare the odometer reading against these benchmarks. Significantly lower mileage than expected could indicate a clocked vehicle — run a free mileage check to verify.

Before buying a used Kia Picanto, we recommend checking the full MOT history, write-off status, outstanding finance, and stolen vehicle status. These checks can be done for free using the registration number.

MOT Pass Rate by Year

How the Kia Picanto performs at MOT across different model years.

2022

Based on 566 vehicles

94.9%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.6%

Retest Rate

5.1%

Mileage at 3yr

31k mi

2021

Based on 15,184 vehicles

92.8%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.6%

Retest Rate

7.2%

Mileage at 3yr

27k mi

2020

Based on 21,618 vehicles

92.8%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.8%

Retest Rate

7.8%

Mileage at 3yr

25k mi

Mileage at 5yr

41k mi

2019

Based on 39,711 vehicles

90.5%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.5%

Retest Rate

10.2%

Mileage at 3yr

28k mi

Mileage at 5yr

40k mi

2018

Based on 39,804 vehicles

89.5%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.9%

Retest Rate

11.1%

Mileage at 5yr

41k mi

2017

Based on 31,986 vehicles

85.8%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

4.3%

Retest Rate

14.9%

Mileage at 5yr

48k mi

2016

Based on 29,802 vehicles

81.3%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.7%

Retest Rate

19.3%

2015

Based on 31,983 vehicles

80.5%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

6.1%

Retest Rate

20.9%

Mileage at 10yr

80k mi

2014

Based on 34,454 vehicles

78.1%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.9%

Retest Rate

22.2%

Mileage at 10yr

82k mi

2013

Based on 29,946 vehicles

73.0%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

6.8%

Retest Rate

27.7%

Mileage at 10yr

84k mi

2012

Based on 31,355 vehicles

68.9%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

7.6%

Retest Rate

30.1%

Mileage at 10yr

93k mi

2011

Based on 24,852 vehicles

65.2%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.4%

Retest Rate

34.0%

2010

Based on 30,903 vehicles

63.9%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.4%

Retest Rate

34.4%

2009

Based on 30,484 vehicles

62.9%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.5%

Retest Rate

34.7%

2008

Based on 7,842 vehicles

60.6%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.3%

Retest Rate

35.7%

2007

Based on 6,845 vehicles

59.6%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.2%

Retest Rate

33.6%

2006

Based on 10,294 vehicles

56.4%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

10.2%

Retest Rate

35.4%

2005

Based on 9,009 vehicles

57.4%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

10.7%

Retest Rate

34.8%

2004

Based on 38,000 vehicles

0.8%Poor

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

0.1%

Mileage at 3yr

16k mi

Mileage at 5yr

28k mi

Mileage at 10yr

54k mi

0

Based on 215,314 vehicles

80.6%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 5yr

48k mi

Top MOT Failures — Kia Picanto

The most common reasons a Kia Picanto fails its MOT, aggregated across all year ranges.

The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

4.8%

Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

3.3%

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

3.2%

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

2.9%

Exhaust system leaking or insecure

2.7%

Kia Picanto Common Faults & Repair Costs

Where Failures Occur

The areas of the vehicle most commonly flagged during MOT inspections.

Front Offside

2.5%

Front Nearside

1.1%

Rear Offside

0.9%

Typical Mileage — Kia Picanto

Average mileage readings recorded at MOT tests for the 2004 model year range. Use these benchmarks to evaluate a used Picanto.

At 3 Years

16,000

miles

At 5 Years

28,000

miles

At 10 Years

54,000

miles

Other Kia Models

Compare MOT reliability across Kia models.

Kia Magentis

60.1% pass rate

Kia X Ceed

100.0% pass rate

Kia Carens

56.6% pass rate

Kia Xceed Edition Isg

90.2% pass rate

Kia Ceed

87.6% pass rate

Kia Sorento

80.3% pass rate

Useful MOT Guides

Common MOT Failures

The most common reasons UK vehicles fail their MOT — and how to prepare.

MOT Checklist

Pre-MOT checklist to improve your chances of passing first time.

Advisory vs Failure

Understanding the difference between MOT advisories and failures.

See detailed fault analysis for Kia Picanto

Kia Picanto — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Kia Picanto MOT and reliability.

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Picanto?

The average MOT pass rate for the Kia Picanto is 71.8% compared to the Kia average of 86.2%. Pass rates vary by year — check the year-by-year breakdown on this page for details.

What are the most common MOT failures on a Kia Picanto?

The most common MOT failures on the Kia Picanto are: The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired (4.8%), Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake (3.3%), A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (3.2%). These are the components most likely to cause an MOT failure.

Is the Kia Picanto reliable?

With an average MOT pass rate of 71.8%, the Kia Picanto is rated as "Average" for reliability. This is around average — regular maintenance is recommended to avoid common failure points.

How do I check the MOT history of a Kia Picanto?

Enter the vehicle's registration number in the search box at the top of this page. You will instantly see the complete MOT history including every test result, mileage readings, advisories, and dangerous defects — completely free.

What mileage should I expect on a Kia Picanto?

Typical mileage for the Kia Picanto: 31,327 miles at 3 years. Use these benchmarks when evaluating a used Picanto to spot vehicles with unusually high or low mileage.

Check Your Kia Picanto's MOT History

Enter the registration number for the full MOT history — free and instant.