Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 9,185 tests analysed

Kia Ceed 2016: reliability & common MOT faults

2,407 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2016 Kia Ceed in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Pins and bushes (front) was the most common reason a 2016 Ceed failed its MOT — 16.1% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

73.8%

of 9,185 first tests (2025)

First tests

9,185

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,407

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

73.8%

of 9,185 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

78.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

9,185

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 9.0 yrs · median mileage 72,134 mi

vs 2024: -2.4 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 2,406 of 2,407 failed first attempts that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Service brake performance (front) — 4.7% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 114 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 4.4× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Service brake performance (front)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Front 114 ×4.4 4.7% Likely
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Front 387 ×3.9 16.1% Likely
Rbt (sp)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp)
 Any 185 ×2.6 7.7% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Side repeaters
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Side repeaters
 Any 21 ×12 0.9% Elevated
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Rear 146 ×6.5 6.1% Likely
Service brake performance (front)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Front 102 ×3.6 4.2% Likely
Suspension arm (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Rear 39 ×3.0 1.6% Elevated
Registration plates (front)
Identification of the vehicle > Registration plates
 Front 66 ×2.3 2.7% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Ceeds either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2016 Ceeds, commonest first.

Other Ceed years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2015 Ceed +2.1 pp better 70.7% 10,689
2013 Ceed +1.5 pp better 60.6% 10,238
2014 Ceed -2.2 pp worse 63.4% 10,448

What to check on a 2016 Ceed

The items that failed 2016 Ceeds most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 16.1% of failed first attempts
  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 8.4% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (front) — recorded on 8.1% of failed first attempts
  • Rbt (sp) — recorded on 7.7% of failed first attempts
  • Brake pads (front) — recorded on 6.3% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Pins and bushes (front) was the most common reason a 2016 Ceed failed its MOT — 16.1% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 73.8% of 9,185 first MOTs on the 2016 Kia Ceed passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 78.8%. Among 2,407 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Service brake performance (front) appears more ofte…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2016 Kia Ceeds most often at the first attempt were Pins and bushes (front) (16.1%), Tyres — Condition (front) (8.4%) and Tread depth (front) (8.1%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answ…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Service brake performance (front) (4.7% of those tests; 114 observed failures; about 4.4× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Service brake performance (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (4.7% of those tests; 114 observed failures; about 4.4× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2016 Kia Ceed include Service brake performance (front), Pins and bushes (front), Rbt (sp). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2016 Kia Ceed (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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