In 2025, 181,652 Kia Picanto cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 71% passed first time, compared with 72% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Picanto about average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 147 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 88% of Picantos passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 49% (all cars: 58%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 19 years (9 points behind).
Kia Picanto All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Picanto passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 6,660 | 88% | 88% | 17,760 |
| 4 years | 8,427 | 86% | 87% | 21,679 |
| 5 years | 7,881 | 86% | 86% | 25,997 |
| 6 years | 16,305 | 84% | 84% | 29,839 |
| 7 years | 16,356 | 83% | 81% | 35,593 |
| 8 years | 13,255 | 80% | 78% | 40,427 |
| 9 years | 12,519 | 75% | 75% | 44,736 |
| 10 years | 13,590 | 74% | 72% | 50,070 |
| 11 years | 14,380 | 70% | 69% | 55,425 |
| 12 years | 12,550 | 64% | 66% | 60,838 |
| 13 years | 12,843 | 60% | 63% | 67,464 |
| 14 years | 10,162 | 57% | 61% | 68,770 |
| 15 years | 12,257 | 56% | 59% | 67,478 |
| 16 years | 11,748 | 54% | 58% | 66,857 |
| 17 years | 2,815 | 52% | 57% | 73,508 |
| 18 years | 2,224 | 50% | 57% | 70,515 |
| 19 years | 3,084 | 48% | 57% | 71,539 |
| 20 years | 2,758 | 49% | 58% | 73,171 |
What fails most on a Kia Picanto
The area that lets the Picanto down most, relative to other cars, is brakes: 17.7% of tests failed on it, 1.8 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on suspension and lights and electrics.
Share of Picanto tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 5.1% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 4.0% |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 3.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | Brakes | 3.7% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 3.5% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 3.4% |
What to check when buying a used Picanto
Based on where the Picanto fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Brakes: Look through the wheels for lipped or scored discs, check the handbrake holds on a slope, and feel for pulling or vibration under firm braking. Repair guide
- Visibility: Check the windscreen for chips in the driver’s view, the wipers for smearing and the washers for working jets. Repair guide
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Picanto
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a PicantoFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Kia Picanto?
In 2025, 71% of Kia Picanto cars passed their MOT first time, across 181,652 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 72%.
What do Kia Picanto cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (5.1% of tests); a tyre seriously damaged (4.0% of tests); wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen (3.8% of tests).
Other Kia models
Kia Sportage (75%), Kia Ceed (66%), Kia Rio (70%), Kia Niro (87%), Kia Venga (71%), Kia Sorento (68%). All Kia models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.