63,908 tests in 2025
Renault Kadjar reliability and MOT pass rate
78.2% passed first time. The 21.8% fail rate is 0.8 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 55,418 miles.
Pass rate
78.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 21.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
55,418 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 9,282 | 13.4% |
| 6-9 years | 51,841 | 22.9% |
| 10-13 years | 2,784 | 30.4% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Kadjar 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.
- Suspension131 dangerous37.8%
- Tyres4,940 dangerous35.5%
- Brakes2,874 dangerous21.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous20.2%
- Visibility2 dangerous12.4%
- Steering37 dangerous7.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous6.3%
- Body, chassis, structure60 dangerous3.7%
Is the Kadjar getting worse?
The fail rate rose 8.9 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 60,500 | 5 | 13% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 68,022 | 6 | 15.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 58,255 | 7 | 18% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 63,401 | 8 | 21.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Kadjar 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 Kadjar in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,147 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken2,059 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,846 tests
- 4Headlamp: not working on dipped beam1,554 tests
- 5Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,503 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,073 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,041 tests
- 8Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,022 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Kadjar collects 2.39 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 1.6mm10,781 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick9,082 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7,980 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened6,799 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,320 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2,785 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn2,263 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre1,481 tests
Questions
What is the Renault Kadjar MOT pass rate?
78.2% of the 63,908 Renault Kadjar first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 21.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Renault Kadjar usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 2,147 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 37.8% of failures, tyres appears in 35.5% of failures, brakes appears in 21.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 13.4%; at 10-13 years it was 30.4%. The median Renault Kadjar tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 55,418 miles.
Is the Renault Kadjar getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 8.9 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 Kadjar 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 6 safety recalls naming the Renault Kadjar: Renault Kadjar recalls.
Other Renault models
Checking a particular Kadjar?
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.