Kia Ceed MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Kia Ceed MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Kia Ceed passed on its first attempt in 72.9%, and its overall record sits −2.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Kia Ceed in the 2023–2025 data: 430,668 tests across 18 model years (2007–2024). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Kia Ceed MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Kia Ceed, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Kia Ceed's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Kia Ceed DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Kia Ceed, each with how many of the model's 430,668 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 22,345 Kia Ceed tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 10,155 Kia Ceed tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 9,966 Kia Ceed tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 9,306 Kia Ceed tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 8,706 Kia Ceed tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 8,529 Kia Ceed tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Kia Ceed Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Kia Ceed model year on record is 2024 (98.4% across 122 tests), and the weakest is 2007 (69.5%). The gap between them is 28.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Kia Ceed reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Kia Ceed Owners

These checks follow this Kia Ceed's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Kia Ceed.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint has excessive play”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Kia Ceed. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Kia Ceed MOT & Reliability