Kia Carens
From 23,588 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Carenss fare better: 2019 models pass at 77.2% vs 62.2% for 2007.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm and a tyre seriously damaged. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 1,085 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 1,085 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 791 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 587 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 581 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 557 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 538 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 451 |
| a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led | 396 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 360 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 325 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 61.6% of Carens failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 0% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £103.
Kia Carens on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 1,141 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 3 newly registered, a net loss of 1,138. At this rate, roughly 12.6 years until none remain. Now at 58.2% of its peak (24,532 in 2016 Q3).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 12,545 | 1,740 | +0 | -271 | -271 |
| 2025 Q2 | 12,853 | 1,703 | +3 | -261 | -258 |
| 2025 Q1 | 13,122 | 1,692 | +0 | -330 | -330 |
| 2024 Q4 | 13,460 | 1,684 | +0 | -279 | -279 |
| 2024 Q3 | 13,726 | 1,697 | +0 | -257 | -257 |
| 2024 Q2 | 14,000 | 1,680 | +0 | -233 | -233 |
| 2024 Q1 | 14,248 | 1,665 | +2 | -284 | -282 |
| 2023 Q4 | 14,558 | 1,637 | +1 | -272 | -271 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carens 2 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 1,274 | 12% |
| Carens 2 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 1,238 | 12% |
| Carens 3 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 1,122 | 11% |
| Carens 2 Isg | Petrol | 956 | 9% |
| Carens 2 Crdi Auto | Diesel | 756 | 7% |
| Carens 3 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 719 | 7% |
| Carens 2 Crdi Isg S-A | Diesel | 630 | 6% |
| Carens 3 Sat Nav Ecodynam Crdi | Diesel | 551 | 5% |
| Carens 4 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 482 | 5% |
| Carens 2 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 460 | 4% |
| Carens 4 Crdi Isg S-A | Diesel | 324 | 3% |
| Carens 3 Crdi Isg S-A | Diesel | 304 | 3% |
| Carens Sr7 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 281 | 3% |
| Carens 1 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 277 | 3% |
| Carens Sr7 Isg | Petrol | 277 | 3% |
| Carens Ls Crdi 7 Seat S A | Diesel | 238 | 2% |
| Carens S 5S | Petrol | 220 | 2% |
| Carens Gs Crdi | Diesel | 199 | 2% |
| Carens 1 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 192 | 2% |
| Carens Gs | Gas | 175 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 77.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 78.5% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 77.9% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2016 | 75.8% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
12 earlier years
| 2015 | 74.5% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2014 | 73.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2013 | 71.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2012 | 64% | a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2011 | 67.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2010 | 66.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2009 | 62.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2008 | 60.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2007 | 62.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2006 | 57.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2005 | 54.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2004 | 61.8% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
Typical mileage
Half of all Carenss tested had between 76,811 and 120,606 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 92,004 median miles, the Carens has 0.031 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Kia models
| Kia Sportage | 81% |
| Kia Picanto | 76.9% |
| Kia Ceed | 73.9% |
| Kia Rio | 74.7% |
| Kia Venga | 77.2% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Carens MOT pass rate?
The Kia Carens has a 71.4% MOT pass rate based on 23,588 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Carens?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Carens is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 1,085 failures. Other common issues include a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm.
How many Kia Carenss are on UK roads?
There are 12,545 Kia Carenss currently licensed on UK roads, with 1,740 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Carens at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Carens is 92,004 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 76,811 and 120,606 miles.
Buying a used Carens?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 71.4% pass rate and an average repair bill of £103 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.