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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2011 Kia Venga MOT fail rate and common faults

How Kia Venga cars first used in 2011 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 17,264 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 14 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 14 (n=4,107)44.7%
All cars at 14 years (n=6,054,526)40.3%
Difference+4.4 pts
MOT tests of 2011 cars, 2022 to 202517,264

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 14 years old, Kia Venga cars first used in 2011 failed 44.7% of MOTs (4,107 tests), 4.4 points above the 40.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 11 to 14 years old, the fail rate moved from 41.5% to 44.7%.
  • Kia Venga cars first used a year earlier, in 2010, failed 45.7% at the same age of 14 years (2,908 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Kia Venga at 14 years, is steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 13.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.0).

MOT fail rate by test year

Kia Venga cars first used in 2011: 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 yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202211 years41.5%4,42833.3%+8.3 pts
202312 years44.0%4,43936.0%+8.0 pts
202413 years43.1%4,29038.3%+4.8 pts
202514 years44.7%4,10740.3%+4.4 pts

Most common faults at 14 years

These figures cover all Kia Venga MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2010 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). 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 itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Steering track rod end: ball joint play13.42.0
Brake light not working Wear7.33.5
Side/position light not working Wear7.15.4
Coil spring broken3.34.2
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear2.92.1
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear2.52.1
Electronic stability control: warning lamp indicates a fault2.50.3
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.43.1
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.40.8
Handbrake too weak2.02.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=7,039). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear16.218.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened15.011.0
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear12.09.3
Coil spring: corroded10.46.4
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive8.98.5
Track rod end ball joint: slight play8.81.7
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened8.34.5
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.57.2
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material6.86.0
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear6.35.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=7,039). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 14 years

These figures cover all Kia Venga MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2010 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol61.2%42.2%4,30540.0%71,153 miles
Diesel38.8%49.7%2,73440.8%93,511 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 14 years

These figures cover all Kia Venga MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2010 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). At 14 years, Kia Venga cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (51.7%, n=1,792) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (35.5%, n=1,570). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles35.5%1,57030.5%
60,000 to 90,000 miles46.4%2,63439.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles51.7%1,79244.0%

Car tax rules for a 2011 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

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.
  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2011 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • 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 Venga

Other Kia models first used in 2011

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Kia Picanto (2011)14 years in 202542.6%10,23040.3%
Kia Sportage (2011)14 years in 202540.6%7,13040.3%
Kia Ceed (2011)14 years in 202548.8%6,59240.3%
Kia Rio (2011)14 years in 202544.9%6,39640.3%
Kia Soul (2011)14 years in 202542.6%3,20040.3%
Kia Sorento (2011)14 years in 202543.5%1,47640.3%

More on the Kia Venga

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 2011 Kia Venga 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.