Kia Venga 2019: reliability & common MOT faults

At a glance

How 2,562 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time: 89 in every 100
Did not pass first time: 11 in every 100284 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car: 6 yearsabout 24,825 miles
First tests counted: 2,562

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2019 Kia Venga vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Brakes

One fault: handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test), 6.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 283 of 284 failed first attempts (99.6%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

Failed on 21 first tests6.8 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A parking brake with efficiency below the minimum requirement is Major, and graded Dangerous where efficiency is less than half of the required value. On a roller brake tester, the requirement counts as met if more than half of the wheels of a brake system lock. The check applies only to vehicles whose parking brake was not already tested as the secondary brake.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time: 89in every 100; Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station: 3in every 100; Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed: 8in every 100; Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 88.9% of 2,562 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 92.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 3 fixed and the 8 not fixed make the 11 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

Year	Passed first time	First tests
2010	53 in every 100	2,536
2011	54 in every 100	3,893
2012	58 in every 100	4,640
2013	62 in every 100	5,361
2014	64 in every 100	5,163
2015	75 in every 100	5,968
2016	79 in every 100	5,514
2017	84 in every 100	5,743
2018	88 in every 100	3,565
2019 This car	89 in every 100	2,562

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2019 Venga.

Of 2019 Venga vehicles with under 15,000 miles, 94 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 39,000 miles or more, 83 in every 100 did.

Under 15,000509 tests

94

15,000–21,000491 tests

92

21,000–28,000 Typical car515 tests

86

28,000–39,000546 tests

91

39,000 and over500 tests

83

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. 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.

Is the 2019 Kia Venga reliable?

The 2019 Kia Venga follows the pattern of the model years either side. In 2025, 88.9% of 2,562 first MOTs on the 2019 Kia Venga passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 92.2%. Among 284 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) appears more often than on similar cars (7.4% of those tests; 21 observed failures; about 6.8× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.

What common MOT faults stand out on the Kia Venga 2019?

Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (7.4% of those tests; 21 observed failures; about 6.8× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.

Why does Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) stand out?

Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) shows up more often than on similar cars (7.4% of those tests; 21 observed failures; about 6.8× 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 checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.

What are common problems with the 2019 Kia Venga?

Common MOT problem areas for the 2019 Kia Venga include Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.

What does this Kia Venga 2019 MOT report cover?

This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2019 Kia Venga (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.

Does this include engine and gearbox problems?

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.
If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

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