Pass rate, every year
4,042 tests across 5 model years, 2019–2023.
+11.2 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
4,042 tests across 5 model years, 2019–2023.
+11.2 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2019 93.1%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2019 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 91.3%
1.8 points below the 2019 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Kia Picanto X-Line MOT pass rate is 92.2%, +11.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 4,042 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2019 and 2023. This page lists the most common Kia Picanto X-Line MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Kia Picanto X-Line MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Kia Picanto X-Line passed on its first attempt in 91.5%, and its overall record sits +11.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Kia Picanto X-Line in the 2023–2025 data: 4,042 tests across 5 model years (2019–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 4,042 |
| Overall pass rate | 92.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 91.5% |
| Average mileage at test | 15,651 mi |
| Model years covered | 2019–2023 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +11.2 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Kia Picanto X-Line, the Visibility section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 43% |
| Tyres | 42% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7% |
| Brakes | 4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3% |
| Suspension | 0% |
Shares are over the Kia Picanto X-Line's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 43% of the recorded Kia Picanto X-Line failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (2.7%), "Wipers blade defective" (1.1%), "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (0.5%) among the Kia Picanto X-Line's visibility faults.
Around 42% of the recorded Kia Picanto X-Line failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (2.1%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.9%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.4%) among the Kia Picanto X-Line's tyres faults.
Around 7% of the recorded Kia Picanto X-Line failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp aim too low" (0.6%), "Headlamp aim too high" (0.2%), "Individual direction indicators lens defective which has no effect on emitted light" (0.0%) among the Kia Picanto X-Line's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Kia Picanto X-Line, each with how many of the model's 4,042 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Kia Picanto X-Line model year on record is 2019 (93.1% across 1,697 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (91.3%). The gap between them is 1.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Picanto X-Line | 54 | 92.6% |
| 2022 Picanto X-Line | 1,025 | 91.4% |
| 2021 Picanto X-Line | 1,009 | 91.3% |
| 2020 Picanto X-Line | 257 | 92.2% |
| 2019 Picanto X-Line | 1,697 | 93.1% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Kia Picanto X-Line's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Kia Picanto X-Line.
the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
the lights — “headlamp aim too low”
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 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 Picanto X-Line. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
92.2% of the 4,042 recorded Kia Picanto X-Line MOT tests ended in a pass, +11.2 percentage points above the national average. 91.5% of those passed on the first attempt.
2019 is the strongest Kia Picanto X-Line year on record at 93.1%, while 2021 is the weakest at 91.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Kia Picanto X-Line failures are "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" — together around 5% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.