Kia
Cerato
1,470 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Ceratos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.8 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
60.7%
Pass-after-fix
4.9%
Fail
33.8%
Avg miles
88,409
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Cerato: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 1,352 MOT tests, the Cerato returns 62.3% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. The strength or continuity of the load bearing and a corroded brake pipe round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 86,336, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 10–26
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 →
10–26
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
138 occurrences · 9.4% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
105 occurrences · 7.1% of tests
- 03
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
91 occurrences · 6.2% of tests
- 04
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
76 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
- 05
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
66 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
- 06
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
65 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
- 07
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
63 occurrences · 4.3% of tests
- 08
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
54 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
54 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 10
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
51 occurrences · 3.5% 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 3 failures
£58–£205
If every one of this Cerato'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Hycote
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£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Kia Clear White Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Kia Titanium Silver Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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.
Buying or keeping a Cerato?
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 Cerato 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.