Kia Picanto X-Line MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

92.2% Above average

4,042 tests across 5 model years, 2019–2023.

+11.2 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Kia Picanto X-Line really fares

92.2% of its MOTs pass — over 4,042 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

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.

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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.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Kia Picanto X-Line MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

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.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed4,042
Overall pass rate92.2%
Passed on first attempt91.5%
Average mileage at test15,651 mi
Model years covered2019–2023 (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.

Most Common Kia Picanto X-Line MOT Problems by Failure Category

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 Est. recorded instances
Visibility 43% 187
Tyres 42% 179
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7% 32
Brakes 4% 18
Body, chassis, structure 3% 13
Suspension 0% 2

Shares are over the Kia Picanto X-Line's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Visibility

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.

Tyres

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.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

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.

Top Recorded Kia Picanto X-Line DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

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.

  • "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Rectified) — noted on about 110 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 84 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 77 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 44 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Headlamp aim too low" (Rectified) — noted on about 24 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 22 Kia Picanto X-Line tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Kia Picanto X-Line Model Years by Pass Rate

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 First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2023 Picanto X-Line 54 92.6% 92.3% 12,481 mi Ball joint excessively worn
2022 Picanto X-Line 1,025 91.4% 90.6% 13,995 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2021 Picanto X-Line 1,009 91.3% 90.4% 15,935 mi Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure
2020 Picanto X-Line 257 92.2% 91.6% 16,408 mi Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure
2019 Picanto X-Line 1,697 93.1% 92.6% 19,436 mi Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Kia Picanto X-Line Owners

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.

Frequently Asked Questions: Kia Picanto X-Line MOT & Reliability

What is the Kia Picanto X-Line MOT pass rate?

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.

Which Kia Picanto X-Line model years pass the MOT most often?

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.

What are the most common Kia Picanto X-Line MOT failures?

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.