MOT fail rates by first-use year

2018 Kia Picanto MOT fail rate and common faults

How Kia Picanto cars first used in 2018 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 65,657 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 7 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 7 (n=16,413)17.3%

All cars at 7 years (n=10,537,318)20.6%

Difference−3.3 pts

MOT tests of 2018 cars, 2022 to 202565,657

What stands out

In 2025, at 7 years old, Kia Picanto cars first used in 2018 failed 17.3% of MOTs (16,413 tests), 3.3 points below the 20.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 4 to 7 years old, the fail rate moved from 11.3% to 17.3%.
Kia Picanto cars first used a year earlier, in 2017, failed 19.6% at the same age of 7 years (13,344 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Kia Picanto at 7 years, is handbrake too weak, at 1.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Kia Picanto cars first used in 2018: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	4 years	11.3%	16,382	13.4%	−2.1 pts
2023	5 years	14.8%	16,463	15.3%	−0.5 pts
2024	6 years	16.6%	16,399	17.8%	−1.2 pts
2025	7 years	17.3%	16,413	20.6%	−3.3 pts

Most common faults at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Picanto MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=56,214). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.6	1.7
Handbrake too weak	1.7	0.4
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.6	2.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	1.5	2.2
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.5	1.0
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.5	1.3
Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side	1.3	0.2
Suspension ball joint worn	1.3	0.7
Coil spring broken	1.3	1.6
Daytime running lamps: not working Wear	1.0	0.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=56,214). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	15.1	8.9
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	11.3	15.0
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.2	9.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	6.2	8.0
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	2.8	2.6
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	2.2	0.9
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	1.8	3.0
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.6	1.5
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	1.4	2.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	1.4	2.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=56,214). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Picanto MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=56,214). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	100.0%	19.7%	56,214	19.6%	32,840 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Picanto MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=56,214). At 7 years, Kia Picanto cars at 60,000 to 90,000 miles failed more often (30.5%, n=5,181) than those at under 30,000 miles (13.9%, n=24,397). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	13.9%	24,397	12.7%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	22.7%	25,708	19.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	30.5%	5,181	24.2%

Car tax rules for a 2018 car

Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Kia Picanto

2017 Kia Picanto 2019 Kia Picanto

Other Kia models first used in 2018

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Kia Sportage (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.8%	33,805	20.6%
Kia Ceed (2018)	7 years in 2025	19.6%	9,221	20.6%
Kia Niro (2018)	7 years in 2025	14.2%	7,483	20.6%
Kia Stonic (2018)	7 years in 2025	14.6%	6,820	20.6%
Kia Rio (2018)	7 years in 2025	15.2%	5,742	20.6%
Kia Venga (2018)	7 years in 2025	12.2%	3,681	20.6%
Kia Sorento (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.5%	2,720	20.6%
Kia Optima (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.4%	2,650	20.6%

More on the Kia Picanto

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2018 Kia Picanto cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.