Kia Picanto, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
223,484 Kia Picantos are licensed in the UK, the 38th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 71.4% of initial MOT tests, 0.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Picanto? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Kia Picanto at the MOT
71.4% of 190,252 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Picanto 325th of 575 models. Kia Picantos aged 3 to 5 years passed 85.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 57.7%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Kia Picanto tests in 2025.
Where Picantos fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Kia Picanto tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (5.8%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (5.7%) and rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (5.1%).
The MOT page lists every common Picanto MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Picanto's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
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.26.3% of Picanto failure items
-
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.19% of Picanto failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.14.3% of Picanto failure items
Kia Picantos in the UK
223,484 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Kia. The number licensed has grown 77% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +77%from 126,576 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 13,633against 17,823 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 6,5312.8% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Kia Picantos since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 126,576 |
| End of 2015 | 137,403 |
| End of 2016 | 148,615 |
| End of 2017 | 159,131 |
| End of 2018 | 170,953 |
| End of 2019 | 184,034 |
| End of 2020 | 186,614 |
| End of 2021 | 192,968 |
| End of 2022 | 198,237 |
| End of 2023 | 208,178 |
| End of 2024 | 212,749 |
| End of 2025 | 220,087 |
| End of June 2026 | 223,484 |
How old they are
Licensed Kia Picantos by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 3,514 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13,371 | 13,633 |
| 2024 | 11,107 | 11,384 |
| 2023 | 13,476 | 14,031 |
| 2022 | 9,764 | 10,371 |
| 2021 | 10,637 | 11,015 |
| 2020 | 8,747 | 9,057 |
| 2019 | 17,128 | 17,823 |
| 2018 | 15,929 | 16,739 |
| 2017 | 12,953 | 13,752 |
| 2016 | 12,359 | 13,023 |
| 2015 | 13,294 | 14,217 |
| 2014 | 13,907 | |
| 2013 | 12,033 | |
| 2012 | 12,322 | |
| 2011 | 9,623 | |
| 2010 | 11,639 | |
| 2009 | 11,160 | |
| 2008 | 2,536 | |
| 2007 | 1,875 | |
| 2006 | 2,571 |
13,294 Picantos first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 94% of the 14,217 first registered that year.
Picanto engine sizes
1.0 litre engines made up 59% of Kia Picanto MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.2 litre at 28%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed Picantos.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 190,248 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Kia Picanto recalls
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Kia Picanto. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Picanto is affected.
-
Jul 2026 R/2026/251
Kia Picanto Possible Under Bonnet Fuel Leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Fuel leakage may occur due to contact between the fuel line and the battery tray cable. For affected cars this may lead to damage of the fuel line and the risk of a fuel leak.
- Remedy
- Carry out a visual inspection pipe if no damage re-route and secure the pipe. If damaged replace the pipe and re-route.
-
Dec 2024 R/2024/465
Kia HECU Fuse Replacement
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The HECU hydraulic electronic control unit of affected vehicles equipped with Anti-lock Brake Systems ABS and Electronic Stability Control ESC could leak internally and cause an electrical short over time. In extreme cases the HECU could overheat with a possible risk of an under bonnet fire.
- Remedy
- The recall will replace the fuses in the junction box with a lower rated version.
-
Oct 2024 R/2024/367
Kia Picanto ISLA Upgrade
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) system may not function properly due to an incorrect software version of the instrument cluster and the ISLA camera coding partially missing. As a result there may be no audible or visual warning on the dashboard when the speed limit is exceeded. Without this system the vehicle may not meet EU ISA legislation.
- Remedy
- Update the Cluster software and the front camera ISLA coding.
-
Aug 2024 R/2024/317
Kia Picanto EGR Valve
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles a short circuit inside the EGR (Exhaust Gas Circulation) valve may occur potentially causing the engine to stall before a warning light is displayed.
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the EGR Valve will be replaced.
-
May 2022 R/2022/122
Some vehicles do not have an audible warning when the rear fog lamp is left switched on
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The audible warning when the rear fog lamp is left switched on the ignition is switched off and the driver's door opened on some vehicles does not function.
- Remedy
- Update the dash cluster software to include an audible warning function.
-
Sep 2018 R/2018/246
Fuel filler neck rubber hoses may crack over time
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Rubber hoses in the fuel filler neck may crack over time and could leak.
- Remedy
- Improved quality levelling and filler hoses will be installed replacing all of the potentially defective items.
-
Dec 2012 R/2012/138
Corrosion may affect handbrake performance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- As a result of water ingress and attendant corrosion in the rear calipers the parking brake may not hold the vehicle on a hill when normal force has been applied to the parking brake lever.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to either clean the axle and housing and fit new seals or where necessary replace the rear calipers.
-
Jun 2010 R/2010/062
Fuel may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The fuel tank filler neck may crack and allow fuel to leak.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the fuel tank filler neck.
Picanto 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 Picanto's 71.4% MOT pass rate.
Kia Picanto FAQs
How many Kia Picantos are there in the UK?
223,484 Kia Picantos were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 6,531 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Kia Picanto 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 71.4% first-time pass rate for the Kia Picanto across 190,252 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Kia Picanto had any recalls?
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Kia Picanto. The most recent was published in July 2026. 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 Picanto?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 Picanto'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 Picanto?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 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 October 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.