Kia Picanto common faults, MOT red flags & buyer's guide
Mk2 (2011–2017) & Mk3 (2017–) · City car
Worth buying
The 7-year warranty is a genuine used-buyer superpower.
Typical price
£3,000–£13,500
Insurance
Group 1–6
Real MPG
50–58 mpg real-world
Road tax
£20–£180/yr
Kia Picanto common faults
Each fault below is drawn from real owner reports and UK garage patterns for this generation — not generic used-car advice.
1.0 MPI timing chain rattle
moderateNon-turbo 1.0 can develop chain rattle above 80k.
Check for: Rattle on cold start.
Typical cost: £700–£1,100 timing chain
Rear wiper motor
minorRear wiper motors can seize.
Check for: Test rear wiper.
Typical cost: £120–£180
MOT history red flags
If any of these appear on the last two MOTs, negotiate hard or walk away.
- None model-specific — check MOT like any car
Sharp questions to ask the seller
- Is the original Kia 7-year warranty still valid?
- Serviced within Kia's schedule?
Got a specific Kia Picanto in mind?
Paste the reg and we'll pull its full MOT history, cross-check against these faults, and tell you: buy, negotiate or walk away.