Used car guide · 2019–2026

Kia Xceed common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Kia Xceed, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 46,884 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

46,884MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
42,286on the UK register
2019best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

20262025202420232022202120202019

What usually goes wrong with a Kia Xceed?

Carbuyer reports no specific faults and rated the pre-facelift XCeed top in its Driver Power model survey, and Auto Express says it has had no recalls. Kia's seven-year warranty may still apply.

Source: Carbuyer: Kia XCeed reliability

Common Kia Xceed MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints

    up to 10.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Brake discs

    up to 1.9× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

    Rough price £150–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look through the wheel at the brake disc: a deep lip at the edge or heavy scoring means they're worn. Feel for judder when braking.

  • Wipers

    up to 2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

Kia Xceed MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2019 Kia Xceed did best (88% passed first time, 3 points above all 2019 cars) and the 2023 did worst (92%, 0 points above all 2023 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202392%92% +0980
202289%89% +08,788
202187%87% +013,117
202087%87% +021,254
201988%85% +32,745

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Kia Xceed

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 10.3× as often on the Kia Xceed as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the brake discs? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the Kia Xceed as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the wipers? (Flagged at MOT 2× as often on the Kia Xceed as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Kia Xceed?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score