Kia Venga
From 65,772 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Vengas fare better: 2019 models pass at 91.2% vs 65.8% for 2010.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning and a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. The top issue, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, caused 2,884 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 steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,884 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 1,447 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,422 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 1,011 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,008 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 972 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 909 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 851 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 803 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 752 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 47% of failures are serious: 47% are safety issues (brakes, steering, tyre damage) and 0% could actually leave you stranded. That's close to the 44.4% average across all models. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £97.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 79.2% while Diesel versions pass at 71%, a 8 percentage point gap.
Kia Venga on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 718 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1 newly registered, a net loss of 717. At this rate, roughly 63.1 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 44,513 | 652 | +0 | -206 | -206 |
| 2025 Q2 | 44,744 | 627 | +0 | -209 | -209 |
| 2025 Q1 | 44,945 | 635 | +1 | -219 | -218 |
| 2024 Q4 | 45,226 | 572 | +0 | -84 | -84 |
| 2024 Q3 | 45,404 | 478 | +0 | -210 | -210 |
| 2024 Q2 | 45,642 | 450 | +0 | -117 | -117 |
| 2024 Q1 | 45,753 | 456 | +0 | -207 | -207 |
| 2023 Q4 | 45,996 | 420 | +0 | -29 | -29 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venga 3 Auto | Petrol | 6,590 | 16% |
| Venga 2 Auto | Petrol | 6,440 | 16% |
| Venga 4 Auto | Petrol | 3,285 | 8% |
| Venga 2 Crdi | Diesel | 3,161 | 8% |
| Venga 3 Isg | Petrol | 2,653 | 6% |
| Venga 2 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 2,598 | 6% |
| Venga 2 Isg | Petrol | 1,998 | 5% |
| Venga 3 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 1,915 | 5% |
| Venga 3 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 1,563 | 4% |
| Venga 2 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 1,388 | 3% |
| Venga 1 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 1,343 | 3% |
| Venga 4 Isg | Petrol | 1,306 | 3% |
| Venga Sr7 Isg | Petrol | 1,259 | 3% |
| Venga 1 Air Ecodynamics | Petrol | 1,096 | 3% |
| Venga 3 Ecodynamics | Petrol | 991 | 2% |
| Venga 3 Sat Nav Auto | Petrol | 907 | 2% |
| Venga 1 | Petrol | 883 | 2% |
| Venga 2 | Petrol | 815 | 2% |
| Venga 4 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 793 | 2% |
| Venga 1 Isg | Petrol | 528 | 1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91.2% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 89.8% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2017 | 87.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 83.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
6 earlier years
| 2015 | 80.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2014 | 75% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2013 | 70.7% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2012 | 69.3% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2011 | 66.9% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2010 | 65.8% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
Typical mileage
Half of all Vengas tested had between 47,981 and 94,110 miles on the clock.
At 72,435 median miles, the Venga 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 Sorento | 76.8% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Venga MOT pass rate?
The Kia Venga has a 77.2% MOT pass rate based on 65,772 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Venga?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Venga is a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, which caused 2,884 failures. Other common issues include a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning.
How many Kia Vengas are on UK roads?
There are 44,513 Kia Vengas currently licensed on UK roads, with 652 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Venga at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Venga is 72,435 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 47,981 and 94,110 miles.
Buying a used Venga?
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 77.2% pass rate and an average repair bill of £97 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.