Kia Picanto
From 264,523 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Picantos fare better: 2022 models pass at 93.4% vs 65% for 2004.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a tyre seriously damaged, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, a tyre seriously damaged, caused 6,623 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 tyre seriously damaged | 6,623 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 6,281 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 6,039 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 5,149 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 4,702 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 4,438 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 4,246 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 4,205 |
| parking brake inoperative on one side | 4,043 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 3,728 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 46.8% of Picanto failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 8.2% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £108.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Picanto passes its MOT 89.2% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 80.6%, a 8.6 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 72.5%. With an average repair bill of £108 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Picanto that's past its third birthday.
Kia Picanto on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 13,098 newly registered in the past year with 5,228 leaving, a net gain of 7,870. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 215,091 | 5,829 | +3,432 | -1,683 | +1,749 |
| 2025 Q2 | 213,532 | 5,639 | +3,785 | -1,352 | +2,433 |
| 2025 Q1 | 211,211 | 5,527 | +3,529 | -1,038 | +2,491 |
| 2024 Q4 | 209,034 | 5,213 | +2,352 | -1,155 | +1,197 |
| 2024 Q3 | 208,100 | 4,950 | +3,402 | -1,895 | +1,507 |
| 2024 Q2 | 206,722 | 4,821 | +2,460 | -1,330 | +1,130 |
| 2024 Q1 | 205,726 | 4,687 | +2,941 | -1,483 | +1,458 |
| 2023 Q4 | 204,527 | 4,428 | +1,095 | -414 | +681 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picanto 1 | Gas | 38,277 | 22% |
| Picanto 2 | Petrol | 27,905 | 16% |
| Picanto 2 Auto | Petrol | 14,967 | 8% |
| Picanto Gt-Line | Petrol | 10,863 | 6% |
| Picanto 3 | Petrol | 9,587 | 5% |
| Picanto 1 Air | Petrol | 8,561 | 5% |
| Picanto 3 Auto | Petrol | 8,448 | 5% |
| Picanto Gt-Line S | Petrol | 7,573 | 4% |
| Picanto Vr7 | Petrol | 6,960 | 4% |
| Picanto 2 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 6,599 | 4% |
| Picanto Strike | Petrol | 5,242 | 3% |
| Picanto X-Line S Auto | Petrol | 4,881 | 3% |
| Picanto Sr7 | Petrol | 4,447 | 3% |
| Picanto Gt-Line Auto | Petrol | 3,857 | 2% |
| Picanto X-Line | Petrol | 3,783 | 2% |
| Picanto Gt-Line S Isg | Petrol | 3,512 | 2% |
| Picanto Gt-Line S Auto | Petrol | 3,276 | 2% |
| Picanto X-Line Auto | Petrol | 2,864 | 2% |
| Picanto Chill | Petrol | 2,507 | 1% |
| Picanto X-Line S | Petrol | 2,478 | 1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 93.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2021 | 90.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2020 | 89.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 86.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
15 earlier years
| 2018 | 85.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2017 | 83.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 80.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2015 | 78.6% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2014 | 76.9% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, parking brake inoperative on one side |
| 2013 | 72.5% | 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 |
| 2012 | 70.7% | 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 |
| 2011 | 67.4% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2010 | 67.1% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2009 | 66.2% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2008 | 64.8% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
| 2007 | 63.5% | 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, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2006 | 62.7% | 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 |
| 2005 | 62% | 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, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2004 | 65% | 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, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
Typical mileage
Half of all Picantos tested had between 47,207 and 80,488 miles on the clock.
At 63,634 median miles, the Picanto has 0.036 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Kia models
| Kia Sportage | 81% |
| Kia Ceed | 73.9% |
| Kia Rio | 74.7% |
| Kia Venga | 77.2% |
| Kia Sorento | 76.8% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Picanto MOT pass rate?
The Kia Picanto has a 76.9% MOT pass rate based on 264,523 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Picanto?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Picanto is a tyre seriously damaged, which caused 6,623 failures. Other common issues include parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement.
How many Kia Picantos are on UK roads?
There are 215,091 Kia Picantos currently licensed on UK roads, with 5,829 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Picanto at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Picanto is 63,634 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 47,207 and 80,488 miles.
Buying a used Picanto?
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 76.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £108 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.