2025 MOT results
Renault Kadjar common problems
The most common reason a Renault Kadjar fails its MOT is a headlamp out, on 15.3% of its 18,263 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a headlamp out at 15.3% of failures against 4.0% expected; a split joint boot at 5.6% of failures against 1.5% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 4.5% of failures against 2.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 69,278 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 26.4% 18,263 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 51.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Renault Kadjar MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Renault Kadjar 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 |
|---|---|
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.3% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 13.0% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 7.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.3% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 6.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 5.6% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 4.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Headlamp out
15.3% of failures 4.0% expected 3.8 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Worn brake pads
13.0% of failures 9.1% expected somewhat more often
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.
-
Broken coil spring
12.3% of failures 7.5% expected 1.6 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.3% of failures 9.9% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
7.7% of failures 3.6% expected 2.1 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.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.7% of failures 7.8% expected about as expected
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Renault Kadjar, on 31.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 22.7%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 31.3% |
| Tyres | 30.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.9% |
| Brakes | 18.1% |
| Visibility | 13.9% |
| Steering | 6.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
51.6% of Renault Kadjar tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Renault Kadjars, 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 | 18.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 14.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 12.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.7% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 4.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.5% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
| Road wheels: slightly distorted Road wheels | 1.9% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 1.7% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 1.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Renault Kadjar problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Renault Kadjar?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Headlamp: not working on dipped beam” is the most common: it appears on 15.3% of failed Renault Kadjar tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 31.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Renault Kadjar fail its MOT?
26.4% of Renault Kadjar tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 69,278 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 34 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Renault Kadjar than on other cars?
Yes. “Headlamp: not working on dipped beam” appears on 15.3% of its failures against 4.0% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 5.6% of its failures against 1.5% 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 Renault Kadjar 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 | 69,278 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.