2025 MOT results
Kia Venga common problems
The most common reason a Kia Venga fails its MOT is a worn steering or suspension joint, on 21.2% of its 13,432 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 21.2% of failures against 4.3% expected; a split joint boot at 6.7% of failures against 1.8% expected; a sidelight out at 18.0% of failures against 8.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 46,382 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 29.0% 13,432 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.7% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 52.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Venga MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Venga tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 21.2% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.0% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.1% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.7% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.1% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.5% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.3% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 4.2% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 4.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn steering or suspension joint
21.2% of failures 4.3% expected 4.9 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Sidelight out
18.0% of failures 8.1% expected 2.2 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Brake light out
12.8% of failures 6.4% expected 2 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Worn brake pads
7.1% of failures 6.6% expected about as expected
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Split joint boot
6.7% of failures 1.8% expected 3.7 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Washers that do not work
6.1% of failures 4.7% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Kia Venga, on 46.0% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 24.6% against 7.3% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 46.0% |
| Steering | 24.6% |
| Suspension | 23.4% |
| Brakes | 20.7% |
| Tyres | 16.9% |
| Visibility | 15.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
52.6% of Kia Venga tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Vengas, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 12.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 12.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.5% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 4.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 3.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.8% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.4% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.7% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slight corrosion to ferrule Brakes | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Kia Venga gets older
A 2019 Kia Venga failed 11.2% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2010 one failed 46.1%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2019 Kia Venga 11.2% failed, from 2,639 tests
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 13.5%
- Cut tyre 11.1%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 8.1%
- Weak handbrake 6.8%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 6.8%
- Washers that do not work 6.1%
2010 Kia Venga 46.1% failed, from 2,653 tests
- Worn steering or suspension joint 25.7%
- Sidelight out 16.9%
- Brake light out 16.4%
- Broken coil spring 8.0%
- Indicator repeater out 6.5%
- Washers that do not work 6.1%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Kia Venga problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Venga?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” is the most common: it appears on 21.2% of failed Kia Venga tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 46.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Venga fail its MOT?
29.0% of Kia Venga tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 46,382 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 48 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Venga than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 21.2% of its failures against 4.3% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.7% of its failures against 1.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Kia Venga aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 46,382 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.