Kia
26,437 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Carenss pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
70.8%
Pass-after-fix
5.3%
Fail
23.1%
Avg miles
81,698
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 26,433 tests
Pass rate climbs 7.9 points across the cohorts — newer Carens examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
70.3%
Fail
23.5%
PRS
5.3%
Avg mileage at test
83,410 mi
Pass
78.2%
Fail
15.9%
PRS
5.5%
Avg mileage at test
52,471 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Kia Carens is a compact car (C-segment) manufactured by Kia since 1999, spanning over four generations, and was marketed worldwide under various nameplates, prominently as the Kia Rondo.
MOT data from 20,362 tests puts this car on a 71.3% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 76,430 miles. The most common fail item is brake pads worn below 1.5mm, followed by failed number plate light.
It’s hard to argue with the rationale behind the Kia Carens, and it is a hugely competent mid-si.
The Carens's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–22
out of 50
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
880 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
799 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
626 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
579 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
566 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
491 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
478 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
411 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
385 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
376 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£156–£325
If every one of this Carens's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Kia Carens has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
78.2%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 78.2% — a 7.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 52,471 miles — roughly 31K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, has ply or cords exposed — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
70.3%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 70.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 78.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 83,410 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (78.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (70.3% pass). That's a 7.9-point spread across 24,970 older tests and 1,463 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Kia Titanium Silver Metallic 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Kia White 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Kia Clear White Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Kia Titanium Silver Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Recall history
The Carens has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Carens and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
