Is the Renault Kangoo reliable?

On MOT evidence the Renault Kangoo is well below average. It passes 59.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 257 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What do testers most often warn about on a Renault Kangoo?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.4% of all Renault Kangoo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Renault Kangoo usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 98,536 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Renault Kangoo years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Renault Kangoo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 72.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 50.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Renault Kangoo get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 72.5% of Renault Kangoo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 50.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Renault Kangoo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Renault Kangoo cars tested, 73% are diesel, 19% are petrol, 8% are electric. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Renault Kangoo MOT pass rate & common failures

From 52,135 recorded MOT tests of the Renault Kangoo, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Renault Kangoo passes 59.0% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well below average, ranking it 257 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 52,135 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 21.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 98,536 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

59.0%national average72.3%unadjusted54.5%range covered100%rank257 of 262

The Kangoo is 13.3 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well below average. The unadjusted figure is 54.5%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Renault Kangoo tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc21.2%
4,147 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.3%
3,766 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play17.7%
3,462 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded17.2%
3,363 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
5.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps12.8%
2,494 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.4%
2,425 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.8%
2,301 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.6%
2,274 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
9.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.4%
2,222 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.9%
2,124 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Renault Kangoo tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements30.4%
15,835 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded25.9%
13,496 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured16.7%
8,729 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged12.9%
6,730 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.1%
4,235 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)6.1%
3,160 tests
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.0%
3,135 tests
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play5.3%
2,769 testsBall joint worn explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Renault Kangoo

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Renault Kangoo common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Kangoo, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Kangoo common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Kangoo pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Renault Kangoo passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202273%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201962%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201654%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201349%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier50%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Kangoo outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Kangoo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 98,536
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel73.1%
Petrol18.7%
Electric8.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (14)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

KANGOO ADVANCE ML19 E-TECH EV
KANGOO BUSINESS + LL21 I ZE 33
KANGOO BUSINESS + ML20 I ZE 33
KANGOO BUSINESS LL21 I ZE 33
KANGOO LL21 ADVANCE BLUE DCI
KANGOO LL21 B-NESS ENERGY DCI
KANGOO LL21 BNESS + ENERGY DCI
KANGOO LL21 START BLUE DCI
KANGOO ML19 ADVANCE BLUE DCI
KANGOO ML19 ADVANCE BLUE DCI A
KANGOO ML19 ADVANCE TCE
KANGOO ML19 START BLUE DCI
KANGOO ML19 START TCE
KANGOO ML20 BNESS+ ENERGY DCI

Check a specific Renault Kangoo

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Renault models

Renault Clio — 59.1% adjusted
Renault Captur — 70.8% adjusted
Renault Trafic — 62.9% adjusted
Renault Megane — 63.3% adjusted
Renault Kadjar — 74.0% adjusted
Renault Scenic — 61.8% adjusted
All Renault models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Skoda Citigo — 75.1% adjusted, ranked 109
Porsche 911 — 89.5% adjusted, ranked 3
Mini One — 73.9% adjusted, ranked 122
Fiat Punto — 56.5% adjusted, ranked 261

Common questions

Is the Renault Kangoo reliable?: On MOT evidence the Renault Kangoo is well below average. It passes 59.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 257 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Renault Kangoo?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 21.2% of failed Renault Kangoo tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Renault Kangoo?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.4% of all Renault Kangoo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Renault Kangoo usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 98,536 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Renault Kangoo years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Renault Kangoo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 72.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 50.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Renault Kangoo get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 72.5% of Renault Kangoo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 50.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Renault Kangoo models petrol or diesel?: Of the Renault Kangoo cars tested, 73% are diesel, 19% are petrol, 8% are electric. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.