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Kia Ceed, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

124,270 Kia Ceeds are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 68.2% of initial MOT tests, 4.1 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Ceed? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Kia Ceed at the MOT

68.2% of 122,568 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Ceed 380th of 575 models. Kia Ceeds aged 3 to 5 years passed 83.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 54.9%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Kia Ceed68.2%
  • All Kia modelsThe Ceed is 7 pts behind75.2%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Kia Ceed tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years17,620 tests83.8%
  • 6 to 10 years47,891 tests74.5%
  • 11 years and over51,702 tests54.9%

Where Ceeds fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Kia Ceed tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment26.2%
  • Brakes19.8%
  • Suspension17.6%
  • Tyres13.3%
  • Visibility8.5%

The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5%), position lamp not working (4.9%) and track rod end ball joint has excessive play (4.8%).

The MOT page lists every common Ceed MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Kia Ceed MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Ceed's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.26.2% of Ceed failure items

  2. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.19.8% of Ceed failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.6% of Ceed failure items

Kia Ceeds in the UK

124,270 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 55% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
+55%from 80,423 licensed
Typical year of first use
2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
First registered in 2025
5,602against 10,895 in 2015
Declared off the road
4,3433.4% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Kia Ceeds since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201480,423
End of 201588,518
End of 201697,372
End of 2017103,014
End of 2018109,120
End of 2019116,709
End of 2020118,490
End of 2021121,526
End of 2022123,750
End of 2023126,000
End of 2024127,766
End of 2025127,008
End of June 2026124,270

How old they are

Licensed Kia Ceeds by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20254,7085,602
20245,9986,310
20236,7487,021
20226,2296,593
20214,8485,197
20204,1664,442
20199,57410,357
20188,1849,147
20177,4248,355
20168,2369,399
20159,64610,895
20149,530
20139,188
20129,834
20115,530
20105,741
20095,518
20083,337
20071,700

9,646 Ceeds first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 10,895 first registered that year.

Ceed engines and fuel

1.6 litre engines made up 69% of Kia Ceed MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.4 litre at 16%. Petrol accounts for 49% of licensed Ceeds and diesel for 49%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 122,532 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.6 litre69.3%
  • 1.4 litre15.8%
  • 1.0 litre9.1%
  • 1.5 litre5.5%

Fuel type, licensed Ceeds

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol61,48449%
Diesel60,35649%
Plug-in hybrid2290.2%
Hybrid electric2,1972%
Gas4<0.1%

Kia Ceed recalls

4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Kia Ceed. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Ceed is affected.

  1. Mar 2025 R/2025/058

    Kia Ceed PHEV HCA Fuse Replacement

    Ceeds built Nov 2019 to Aug 2023 · 3,993 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The printed circuit board (PCB) in the Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA) may become contaminated with fluid. A fluid contaminated PCB may lead to an electrical short circuit which in extreme cases may potentially result in a fire in the engine compartment while driving.
    Remedy
    Check vehicle for Diagnostic Trouble Codes if HCA related codes are found replace the HCA its connector and reduced amperage fuse modifying the fuse board to suit. If no related DTC are recorded fit reduced amperage fuse only modifying the fuse board to suit.

  2. Sep 2023 R/2023/255

    The mesh filter inside the tandem pump may block causing insufficient oil supply and a risk of vacuum pump failure. If the pump fails there will be no vacuum assistance and the possibility of increased braking distance when applying the brake pedal

    Ceeds built Oct 2018 to Sep 2020 · 20,781 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Remove the mesh filter and check the vacuum pump for damage if damaged replace the pump/drive belt.

  3. Feb 2021 R/2020/357

    Vehicles may have brake fluid contamination caused by topping up with an incorrect fluid

    Ceeds built Jun 2019 to Mar 2020 · 578 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles there may be some contamination of the brake fluid due to topping up with an incorrect fluid.
    Remedy
    Replace the brake master cylinder and change the brake fluid on affected vehicles.

  4. Jun 2010 R/2010/063

    Brakes may not perform correctly

    Ceeds built Apr 2008 to Mar 2009 · 468 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The brake master cylinder on some models fitted with ESP may not be to specification and the result could be longer than expected stopping distances.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to check the brake master cylinder and where necessary replace the master cylinder.
How to check a specific Ceed for recalls

Ceed vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Kia models

The most-tested Kia models in 2025, against the Ceed's 68.2% MOT pass rate.

All 16 Kia models

Kia Ceed FAQs

How many Kia Ceeds are there in the UK?

124,270 Kia Ceeds were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 4,343 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Kia Ceed reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 68.2% first-time pass rate for the Kia Ceed across 122,568 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Kia Ceed had any recalls?

4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Kia Ceed. The most recent was published in March 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Kia Ceed?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Kia Ceed's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Ceed?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Kia history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Kia VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.