Kia Ceed MOT failure rate and common faults
122,179 Kia Ceed cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 31.9% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.0% of the time, which makes the Kia Ceed 14% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
31.9%
failed first time
122,179 MOT tests in 2025
+14%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.0%
168 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
134.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 103.9
What fails on a Kia Ceed MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Kia Ceed MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 38.3 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 37.6 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 37.1 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 32.4 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 32.4 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 28.2 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 26.7 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 26.6 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 25.5 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 24.9 |
Kia Ceed MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,688 | 13.0% | 11.4% | 30,200 |
| 2021 | 5,194 | 16.4% | 12.8% | 41,700 |
| 2020 | 4,278 | 16.5% | 14.1% | 44,600 |
| 2019 | 9,958 | 17.0% | 16.5% | 52,600 |
| 2018 | 9,190 | 19.7% | 19.1% | 60,400 |
| 2017 | 8,534 | 22.7% | 21.8% | 69,700 |
| 2016 | 9,552 | 25.9% | 25.1% | 75,900 |
| 2015 | 11,087 | 29.0% | 28.1% | 82,100 |
| 2014 | 10,841 | 36.4% | 31.4% | 87,700 |
| 2013 | 10,605 | 39.0% | 34.3% | 98,600 |
| 2012 | 10,997 | 44.7% | 36.6% | 103,000 |
| 2011 | 6,532 | 49.2% | 38.8% | 105,500 |
| 2010 | 6,993 | 48.7% | 40.7% | 103,100 |
| 2009 | 6,052 | 48.4% | 41.8% | 101,400 |
| 2008 | 3,691 | 51.7% | 42.9% | 107,200 |
| 2007 | 1,986 | 49.1% | 42.7% | 107,900 |
Advisories to look for in a Kia Ceed's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Kia Ceed, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge311.3
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement177.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened171.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing127.4
- Brake pads: wearing thin115.6
- Coil spring: corroded66.4
Checking a used Kia Ceed before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Kia Ceed fails more often than average on lights and electrics, brakes and tyres. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Kia Ceed cars tested: Diesel 56%, Petrol 42%. Average age at test 10.1 years, average recorded mileage 79,200.
Kia Ceed MOT questions
What is the Kia Ceed MOT failure rate?
31.9% of Kia Ceed cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 122,179 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.0% of the time, so the Kia Ceed was 14% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Kia Ceed MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 202 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded 38.3 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Kia Ceed year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2015 registrations did best: 29.0% failed against an average of 28.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Kia Ceed will pass?
No. These are averages across every Kia Ceed tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Kia models
- Kia Sportage23.0% failed
- Kia Picanto28.5% failed
- Kia Niro12.6% failed
- Kia Rio29.7% failed
- Kia Venga29.0% failed
- Kia Sorento28.5% failed
Ranked close to the Kia Ceed
- Ford Fiestarank 165
- Fiat 500rank 166
- Smart Forfourrank 167
- Nissan X-Trailrank 169
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Kia Ceed cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.