Renault Kangoo Reliability: MOT Pass Rate by Year & Engine

Verdict

The Renault Kangoo passes its MOT first time on 53.6% of tests, 11.7 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (65.3%). That puts it ahead of 8% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

By year of first registration, the 2006 Kangoo does best (beats 26% of cars) and the 2016 worst (beats 1%).

Of its engines, the 1.1 Petrol does best (beats 17%) and the 1.5 Diesel worst (beats 6%).

Watch these weak spots

Lights & electrics1.4×as often as a typical car

Suspension1.3×as often as a typical car

Track rod ends3.9×as often as a typical car

Drive shaft (CV) joints3.7×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

Renault KangooTypical car, same age & mileage

Best and worst years

By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.

Beats 12%

Beats 20%

Beats 28%

Beats 23%

Beats 23%

Beats 19%

Beats 26%

Beats 20%

Beats 23%

Beats 12%

Beats 7%

Beats 5%

Beats 4%

Beats 3%

Beats 2%

Beats 2%

Beats 1%

Beats 0%

Beats 0%

Beats 0%

Beats 0%

Beats 0%

Engines

All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

Engine	Years	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	2002–2021	376,978	52.3%	Beats 6%	E
1.6 Petrol	2003–2012	63,080	58.5%	Beats 16%	E
1.1 Petrol	2002–2009	32,756	53.3%	Beats 17%	E
Electric	2012–2021	16,553	73.6%	Beats 0%	E
1.9 Diesel	2000–2002	9,477	46.0%	Beats 27%	D
1.4 Petrol	2000–2002	8,316	48.2%	Beats 14%	E

Where it fails

Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.

Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical

Lights: 22.0% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 15.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics

22.0% vs 15.4%

Suspension

15.0% vs 11.8%

Brakes

14.0% vs 8.9%

Visibility

10.2% vs 5.7%

Steering

9.8% vs 2.5%

Body & structure

9.5% vs 4.6%

Tyres

8.6% vs 7.2%

Emissions & leaks

3.5% vs 4.1%

Seat belts & airbags

3.0% vs 1.5%

Wheels

0.4% vs 0.5%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Track rod ends 3.9× typical
Feel for play or knocking in the steering and check for wear on the inner edges of the front tyres.
Number plate lights 3.0× typical
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid.
Coil springs 1.9× typical
Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil (often the bottom one) and listen for clunks over bumps.
Windscreen washers 1.9× typical
Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Suspension ball joints 1.9× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering.
Brake performance 1.9× typical
On the test drive, brake firmly: the car should stop straight with no pulsing through the pedal.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

Renault KangooTypical car

Most common MOT failures

Item	This car	Typical	vs typical
Track rod ends	6.7%	1.7%	3.9×
Drive shaft (CV) joints	6.6%	1.8%	3.7×
Brake lights	6.1%	2.9%	2.1×
Number plate lights	5.8%	2.0%	3.0×
Coil springs	5.4%	2.9%	1.9×
Windscreen washers	4.8%	2.6%	1.9×
Windscreen wipers	4.7%	2.6%	1.8×
Sidelights	4.6%	3.8%	1.2×
Tyre tread depth	4.3%	3.1%	1.4×
Tyre damage & cracking	4.2%	3.7%	1.1×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defect	per 1,000
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc	67.1
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play	63.4
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn	59.9
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened	54.0
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	50.4
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	49.8
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen	48.3
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen	45.5

Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Every year and engine

Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

2021 Renault Kangoo2 engines72.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	2,723	66.0%	Beats 0%	E
Electric	2,634	78.6%	Beats 0%	E

2020 Renault Kangoo2 engines72.7% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
Electric	4,246	76.9%	Beats 0%	E
1.5 Diesel	3,453	67.6%	Beats 0%	E

2019 Renault Kangoo2 engines67.9% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	11,023	64.7%	Beats 0%	E
Electric	4,218	76.5%	Beats 0%	E

2018 Renault Kangoo2 engines64.4% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	12,763	63.1%	Beats 0%	E
Electric	1,621	74.8%	Beats 0%	E

2017 Renault Kangoo1 engine59.6% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	15,698	59.6%	Beats 0%	E

2016 Renault Kangoo1 engine61.8% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	26,258	61.8%	Beats 1%	E

2015 Renault Kangoo1 engine59.7% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	35,789	59.7%	Beats 2%	E

2014 Renault Kangoo2 engines57.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	28,699	56.8%	Beats 3%	E
Electric	1,406	64.1%	Beats 0%	E

2013 Renault Kangoo2 engines54.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	20,407	53.6%	Beats 4%	E
Electric	1,013	65.2%	Beats 0%	E

2012 Renault Kangoo3 engines53.0% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	24,818	49.3%	Beats 4%	E
1.6 Petrol	4,257	72.3%	Beats 16%	E
Electric	1,415	59.9%	Beats 0%	E

2011 Renault Kangoo2 engines49.7% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	42,246	46.8%	Beats 4%	E
1.6 Petrol	7,837	65.2%	Beats 10%	E

2010 Renault Kangoo2 engines48.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	37,979	44.9%	Beats 6%	E
1.6 Petrol	8,258	63.0%	Beats 17%	E

2009 Renault Kangoo3 engines51.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	12,950	46.5%	Beats 11%	E
1.6 Petrol	4,850	59.7%	Beats 11%	E
1.1 Petrol	3,131	56.8%	Beats 16%	E

2008 Renault Kangoo3 engines54.7% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	14,801	50.7%	Beats 27%	D
1.6 Petrol	9,335	58.4%	Beats 17%	E
1.1 Petrol	6,397	58.7%	Beats 20%	D

2007 Renault Kangoo3 engines51.5% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	19,166	48.3%	Beats 24%	D
1.6 Petrol	8,808	55.6%	Beats 17%	E
1.1 Petrol	7,285	54.8%	Beats 16%	E

2006 Renault Kangoo3 engines50.7% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	18,679	49.0%	Beats 30%	D
1.6 Petrol	6,723	54.2%	Beats 23%	D
1.1 Petrol	3,794	52.6%	Beats 18%	E

2005 Renault Kangoo3 engines47.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	17,867	45.3%	Beats 22%	D
1.6 Petrol	6,109	51.2%	Beats 15%	E
1.1 Petrol	3,083	50.2%	Beats 16%	E

2004 Renault Kangoo3 engines47.2% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	15,593	46.0%	Beats 29%	D
1.6 Petrol	4,913	50.7%	Beats 16%	E
1.1 Petrol	4,062	47.3%	Beats 13%	E

2003 Renault Kangoo3 engines46.1% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	11,655	45.0%	Beats 26%	D
1.1 Petrol	3,228	47.8%	Beats 15%	E
1.6 Petrol	1,990	49.3%	Beats 17%	E

2002 Renault Kangoo4 engines48.5% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.5 Diesel	4,411	45.5%	Beats 28%	D
1.9 Diesel	3,717	47.4%	Beats 31%	D
1.4 Petrol	2,823	53.0%	Beats 24%	D
1.1 Petrol	1,776	51.2%	Beats 29%	D

2001 Renault Kangoo2 engines46.2% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	4,174	45.0%	Beats 26%	D
1.4 Petrol	3,551	47.6%	Beats 14%	E

2000 Renault Kangoo2 engines43.7% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.4 Petrol	1,942	42.4%	Beats 6%	E
1.9 Diesel	1,586	45.2%	Beats 22%	D

FAQ

What is the Renault Kangoo MOT pass rate?

53.6% of MOT tests on the Renault Kangoo were passed first time, based on 507,160 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2000–2021. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 65.3% of the time.

Is the Renault Kangoo reliable?

On MOT results it rates E (poor): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 8% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Renault Kangoo year is best?

Among years with enough data, the 2006 Kangoo does best for its age and mileage: it beats 26% of cars on UK roads. The 2016 does worst: it beats 1%.

Which Renault Kangoo engine is best?

Across all years, the 1.1 Petrol does best: it beats 17% of cars on UK roads. The 1.5 Diesel does worst: it beats 6%.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Renault Kangoo?

The most common failure items are track rod ends, drive shaft (CV) joints, brake lights. Compared with similar cars, track rod ends comes up 3.9× as often.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.

Renault Kangoo reliability

Verdict

Watch these weak spots

MOT pass rate by age

Best and worst years

Engines

Where it fails

Every MOT area

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Pass rate by mileage

Most common MOT failures

Specific defects found

Every year and engine

FAQ