Kia Ceed
From 180,548 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Ceeds fare better: 2022 models pass at 92% vs 61.9% for 2007.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 9,226 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 | 9,226 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 4,672 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 4,662 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,812 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 3,547 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 3,481 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 3,308 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 3,267 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 3,238 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 3,027 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 64.4% of Ceed 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 £112.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Ceed passes its MOT 86.4% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 80.9%, a 5.5 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 71.1%. With an average repair bill of £112 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Ceed that's past its third birthday.
Kia Ceed on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 6,418 newly registered in the past year with 5,394 leaving, a net gain of 1,024.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 124,495 | 3,710 | +36 | -1,675 | -1,639 |
| 2025 Q2 | 126,289 | 3,555 | +2,368 | -1,168 | +1,200 |
| 2025 Q1 | 125,129 | 3,515 | +3,065 | -1,495 | +1,570 |
| 2024 Q4 | 123,784 | 3,290 | +949 | -1,056 | -107 |
| 2024 Q3 | 124,169 | 3,012 | +1,818 | -1,031 | +787 |
| 2024 Q2 | 123,501 | 2,893 | +1,820 | -986 | +834 |
| 2024 Q1 | 122,756 | 2,804 | +1,605 | -829 | +776 |
| 2023 Q4 | 122,119 | 2,665 | +1,014 | -1,034 | -20 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceed Gt-Line Isg | Petrol | 9,739 | 12% |
| Ceed 2 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 9,213 | 12% |
| Ceed 2 Isg | Petrol | 7,698 | 10% |
| Ceed 3 Isg | Petrol | 6,607 | 8% |
| Ceed 3 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 5,278 | 7% |
| Ceed 2 | Diesel | 4,266 | 5% |
| Ceed Gt-Line Isg Crdi | Diesel | 3,901 | 5% |
| Ceed 2 Isg Crdi | Diesel | 3,297 | 4% |
| Ceed 3 Crdi Auto | Diesel | 3,292 | 4% |
| Ceed 1 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 3,048 | 4% |
| Ceed 2 Crdi Auto | Diesel | 3,025 | 4% |
| Ceed 3 Isg Crdi | Diesel | 2,580 | 3% |
| Ceed Gt-Line | Petrol | 2,520 | 3% |
| Ceed 1 Crdi | Diesel | 2,257 | 3% |
| Ceed 3 Crdi | Diesel | 2,182 | 3% |
| Ceed 2 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 2,008 | 3% |
| Ceed 2 Crdi | Diesel | 1,920 | 2% |
| Ceed 2 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 1,920 | 2% |
| Ceed 3 S-A | Petrol | 1,817 | 2% |
| Ceed Sr7 | Petrol | 1,734 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 92% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2021 | 87% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2020 | 86.4% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 85.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
12 earlier years
| 2018 | 85.5% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 82.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2016 | 80.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 78.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 74.4% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 71.1% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2012 | 67.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2011 | 64.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2010 | 63.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2009 | 63.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2008 | 62.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2007 | 61.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
Typical mileage
Half of all Ceeds tested had between 28,316 and 56,135 miles on the clock.
At 40,298 median miles, the Ceed has 0.065 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Kia models
| Kia Sportage | 81% |
| Kia Picanto | 76.9% |
| Kia Rio | 74.7% |
| Kia Venga | 77.2% |
| Kia Sorento | 76.8% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Ceed MOT pass rate?
The Kia Ceed has a 73.9% MOT pass rate based on 180,548 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Ceed?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Ceed is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 9,226 failures. Other common issues include a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play.
How many Kia Ceeds are on UK roads?
There are 124,495 Kia Ceeds currently licensed on UK roads, with 3,710 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Ceed at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Ceed is 40,298 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 28,316 and 56,135 miles.
Buying a used Ceed?
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 73.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £112 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.