Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 4,550 tests analysed

Renault Kangoo 2011: reliability & common MOT faults

2,423 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2011 Renault Kangoo in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Drive shafts — Joints (front) and Track rod end (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Kangoos passed first time 15.3 pp more often than diesel ones (59.2% of 836 vs 43.9% of 3,703).

First-attempt pass

46.7%

of 4,550 first tests (2025)

First tests

4,550

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,423

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

21.4%

Drive shafts — Joints (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

46.7%

of 4,550 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

54.5%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

4,550

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 14.0 yrs · median mileage 116,064 mi

vs 2024: -0.9 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 2,421 of 2,423 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Rigid brake pipes (rear) — 9.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 237 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 6.3× 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.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 237 ×6.3 9.8% Strong
Drive shafts — Joints (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Transmission > Drive shafts > Joints
 Front 519 ×3.8 21.4% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 85 ×3.8 3.5% Likely
Parking brake control — Lever
Brakes > Parking brake control > Lever
 Any 58 ×3.1 2.4% Likely
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 349 ×2.8 14.4% Possible
Diesel emissions test (compression-ignition rules for vehicles from 01/07/2008) Any 101 ×2.6 4.2% Possible
Registration plate lamp(s)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Any 237 ×2.5 9.8% Possible
Individual direction indicators (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Individual direction indicators
 Rear 122 ×2.4 5.0% Possible
Parking brake performance
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake performance > Rbt > Parking brake performance
 Any 62 ×2.3 2.6% Possible
Stop lamp
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Any 237 ×2.2 9.8% 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.

Wear patterns

Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.

These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults. Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.

Pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Brake discs (front)
Brakes > Mechanical brake components > Brake discs and drums > Brake discs
 Front 83 ×2.2 3.4% Wear
Headlamp aim not tested
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamp aim > Headlamp aim not tested
 Any 32 ×2.1 1.3% Wear
Note: These patterns are not treated as a model design fault in our common-faults ranking.

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
Pedal
Brakes > Service brake pedal or hand lever > Pedal
 Any 65 ×5.4 2.7% Possible
Stop lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Rear 79 ×5.2 3.3% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 488 ×5.0 20.2% Strong
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 292 ×4.7 12.1% Likely
Macpherson strut (front)
Suspension > Macpherson strut > Macpherson strut
 Front 60 ×4.4 2.5% Elevated
Individual direction indicators (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Individual direction indicators
 Rear 135 ×3.1 5.6% Possible
Headlamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamps > Headlamp
 Front 70 ×2.7 2.9% Elevated
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 100 ×2.5 4.1% Possible
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.

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 15.3 pp less often, on 3,703 tests.

Other Kangoo 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
2012 Kangoo +4.0 pp better 51.0% 2,876
2008 Kangoo +3.2 pp better 53.1% 2,544
2013 Kangoo -3.4 pp worse 47.2% 2,099

What to check on a 2011 Kangoo

The items that failed 2011 Kangoos 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.

  • Drive shafts — Joints (front) — recorded on 21.4% of failed first attempts
  • Track rod end (front) — recorded on 14.4% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 11.8% of failed first attempts
  • Stop lamp — recorded on 9.8% of failed first attempts
  • Rigid brake pipes (rear) — recorded on 9.8% 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.

Petrol Kangoos passed first time 15.3 pp more often than diesel ones (59.2% of 836 vs 43.9% of 3,703). In 2025, 46.7% of 4,550 first MOTs on the 2011 Renault Kangoo passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 54.5%. Among 2,423 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Rigid brake pipes (rear) appears more often than on simila…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2011 Renault Kangoos most often at the first attempt were Drive shafts — Joints (front) (21.4%), Track rod end (front) (14.4%) and Ball joint (front) (11.8%) — 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 t…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Rigid brake pipes (rear) (9.8% of those tests; 237 observed failures; about 6.3× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Rigid brake pipes (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (9.8% of those tests; 237 observed failures; about 6.3× 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 2011 Renault Kangoo include Rigid brake pipes (rear), Drive shafts — Joints (front), Parking brake control — Lever. 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 2011 Renault Kangoo (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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