23,161 tests in 2025
Kia Xceed reliability and MOT pass rate
90.8% passed first time. The 9.2% fail rate is 13.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 30,578 miles.
Pass rate
90.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
30,578 mi
4 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 21,558 | 9.4% |
| 6-9 years | 881 | 10.1% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Xceed 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.
- Tyres924 dangerous44.5%
- Visibility28.6%
- Brakes344 dangerous19.4%
- Suspension8 dangerous9.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4.8%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous4.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4.1%
- Steering1 dangerous1%
Is the Xceed getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 9.6% from 2023 to 2025, against a falling rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5,736 | — | 8.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,482 | — | 10.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 15,206 | — | 9.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Xceed 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 Xceed in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively463 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm428 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords285 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick253 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn174 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed118 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid91 tests
- 8Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure91 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Xceed collects 2.26 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 1.6mm3,441 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,086 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,017 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,380 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,199 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn899 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt622 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre578 tests
Questions
What is the Kia Xceed MOT pass rate?
90.8% of the 23,161 Kia Xceed first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Kia Xceed usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded on 463 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords". By section, tyres appears in 44.5% of failures, visibility appears in 28.6% of failures, brakes appears in 19.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.4%; at 6-9 years it was 10.1%. The median Kia Xceed tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 30,578 miles.
Is the Kia Xceed getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 9.6% from 2023 to 2025, against a falling rate across all cars.
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 Xceed trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Kia models
Checking a particular Xceed?
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.