Know Your MOT
6.2%fail rate

Kia Picanto Shadow common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kia Picanto Shadow fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 1,770 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 6.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Kia Picanto Shadow in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is visibility/wipers, which makes up 30.9% of the Kia Picanto Shadow's failures, followed by visibility/wipers, tyres, suspension, lamps & electrical. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Visibility/wipers30.9% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Tyres15.5% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Suspension10.0% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Lamps & electrical4.5% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Other4.5% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Brakes1.8% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the visibility/wipers failure: Kia Picanto Shadow wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Kia Picanto Shadow wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Kia Picanto Shadow wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kia Picanto Shadow tyresSearch Amazon for Kia Picanto Shadow tyresaffiliate searchFind Kia Picanto Shadow tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kia Picanto Shadow suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kia Picanto Shadow suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kia Picanto Shadow suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Kia Picanto Shadow headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kia Picanto Shadow headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kia Picanto Shadow headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Kia Picanto Shadow brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kia Picanto Shadow brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kia Picanto Shadow brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Kia Sportage MOT failures19.2% failure rateKia Picanto MOT failures22.7% failure rateKia Ceed MOT failures23.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain