Kia
1,658 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Picanto GT Line S Isgs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.0%
Pass-after-fix
1.7%
Fail
9.4%
Avg miles
17,587
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,658 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.0 points across the cohorts — newer Picanto GT Line S Isg examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
85.3%
Fail
11.6%
PRS
3.1%
Avg mileage at test
19,543 mi
Pass
88.2%
Fail
9.2%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
17,421 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,658 MOT tests, the Picanto Gt-Line S Isg returns 88.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A seriously damaged tyre and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 17,587, 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.
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A tyre seriously damaged
84 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
61 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
28 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
18 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
17 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
2 occurrences · 0.1% 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 2 failures
£40–£90
If every one of this Picanto GT Line S Isg'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Kia Picanto GT Line S Isg makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
88.2%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 88.2% — a 3.0-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a tear, caused by separation or…, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
85.3%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 85.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a tear, caused by separation or…, has a cut in excess of the…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 19,543 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (88.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (85.3% pass). That's a 3.0-point spread across 129 older tests and 1,529 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
The Kia Picanto continues to offer a fun and affordable option in the city car sector, backed up by the firm’s excellent long warranty.
Where it falls short
The Kia Picanto continues to offer a fun and affordable option in the city car sector, backed up by the firm’s excellent long warranty.
Kia Picanto reported to have had both front suspension springs replaced under warranty. Compare new Kia Picanto deals Buy new from £15,167(list price from £17,095) View offers
Another rattle reported behind the dash of a 2019 Hyundai i10, probably for the same reason as the KIA Picanto (above).
Rattle in front passenger area of new KIA Picanto 1 found to come from loose unused wiring connection block banging against a body part. Easily fixed by straightening and moving the wiring and block.
Complaint of clutch judder first thing in the morning in 2018 KIA Picanto X-Line 1.25. Goes away after 5 minutes driving.
Various complaints about 2017/67 KIA Picanto. Throttle control potentiometer replaced at first service. C lutch judder, worse in wet, cold weather, reversing uphill into a parking slot. Dealer has tested and does not acknowledge. Screen washers blocked. Dealer’s stance was that was owner's way of using the washers and/or wrong additive that was causing blockage. They cleared it, refilled with their “Car Plan Orange”, sold owner a bottle and fitted more generous nozzles.
Report of poor response to accelerator pedal in new Kia Picanto S Line 1.25 at between 3,000-4,000rpm. No problem with cruise control bringing car up to speed, but very sluggish using the pedal. There is probably something wrong with the 'potentiometer' accelerator switch. The car has a 'drive by wire system' that makes an electrical connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle body.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 6 reports indexed
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 Picanto GT Line S Isg 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.
