Kia Picanto common problems

By component

What wears out on a Picanto

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Kia Picanto tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.Tyres

   34.1% of failed tests

   Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

   • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained9.9%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained8.1%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained7.6%
   • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained6.6%

   Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

2. 2.Parking brake

   27.1% of failed tests

   Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

   • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained14.8%
   • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained9.2%
   • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained3.1%

3. 3.Suspension bushes

   23.6% of failed tests

   Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained7.4%
   • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained5.0%
   • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.1%
   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained3.2%

   Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

4. 4.Bulbs and lamps

   21.9% of failed tests

   Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

   • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained11.8%
   • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained3.4%
   • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained2.7%
   • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained2.3%

   Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

   20.1% of failed tests

   Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

   • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained10.9%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained5.8%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.4%

   Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

6. 6.Brake pipes

   9.9% of failed tests

   Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

   • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained9.9%

   Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

7. 7.Brake callipers

   9.7% of failed tests

   Pistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.

   • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained5.8%
   • “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.” — explained2.2%
   • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained1.7%

8. 8.Brake pads and shoes

   6.8% of failed tests

   Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

   • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained6.8%

   Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

By registration year

Picanto problems by year

MOT pass rate for Kia Picanto cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2014, up 5.5 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Picanto owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Kia Picanto tests carrying an advisory for each.

• Tyres45.9% of tests
• Brake discs13.5% of tests
• Brake pipes12.8% of tests
• Suspension bushes10.0% of tests
• Brake pads and shoes7.7% of tests

Go deeper

The rest of the Picanto file

• Kia Picanto: pass rate, ranking and the full failure record
• Is a Picanto's mileage high for its age?
• Every Kia model compared
• Check a specific car's MOT history

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Kia Picanto?

Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 34.1% of failed tests), parking brake (recorded in 27.1% of failed tests), and suspension bushes (recorded in 23.6% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 190,232 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.

Which Kia Picanto year is the most reliable?

By MOT pass rate, Kia Picanto cars registered in 2022 do best at 88.3% and 2006 cars do worst at 47.6%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2014, up 5.5 points on 2013.

Is the Kia Picanto reliable?

Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Kia Picanto passes 65.5% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.

What should I check when buying a used Kia Picanto?

Start with what fails most: tyres, suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.