12,792 tests in 2025
Kia Carens reliability and MOT pass rate
70% passed first time. The 30% fail rate is 7.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 81,667 miles.
Pass rate
70%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
81,667 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 4,982 | 23.7% |
| 10-13 years | 5,172 | 29.4% |
| 14+ years | 2,637 | 43.1% |
What the Carens fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Brakes972 dangerous43.4%
- Suspension51 dangerous36.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment33 dangerous31.5%
- Tyres983 dangerous26.8%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous11.9%
- Body, chassis, structure14 dangerous8.5%
- Steering13 dangerous5.1%
Is the Carens getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 30% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17,151 | 8 | 28.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 15,995 | 9 | 29.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 12,973 | 10 | 29.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 12,786 | 10 | 30% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Carens at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Carens in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick553 tests
- 2Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements514 tests
- 3Stop lamp: not working473 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn326 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm311 tests
- 6Headlamp: not working on dipped beam294 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords261 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak261 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Carens collects 2.85 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,619 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,831 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,704 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,173 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn935 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine741 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded556 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened551 tests
Questions
What is the Kia Carens MOT pass rate?
70% of the 12,792 Kia Carens first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Kia Carens usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 553 failed tests, followed by "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements" and "Stop lamp: not working". By section, brakes appears in 43.4% of failures, suspension appears in 36.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 31.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 43.1%. The median Kia Carens tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 81,667 miles.
Is the Kia Carens getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 30% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Carens trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 3 safety recalls naming the Kia Carens: Kia Carens recalls.
Other Kia models
Checking a particular Carens?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.