Renault Kangoo years to avoid — 158,696 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2013, 2014, 2015. Strongest in the data: 2006 or 2008. The ranking uses 158,696 MOT tests across 20 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 7.8-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Kangoo year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2008 Strong 96.4 -3.6 pts 61.5% 8,826
2 2006 Strong 95.2 -4.8 pts 59.6% 7,685
3 2007 94.0 -6.0 pts 59.1% 9,735
4 2005 92.9 -7.1 pts 57.5% 6,891
5 2002 92.9 -7.1 pts 58.5% 2,577
6 2020 92.7 -7.3 pts 82.7% 3,914
7 2004 92.1 -7.9 pts 56.5% 5,745
8 2021 91.1 -8.9 pts 81.5% 2,177
9 2009 90.9 -9.1 pts 57.3% 6,319
10 2003 90.5 -9.5 pts 55.5% 3,777
11 2010 88.1 -11.9 pts 55.5% 14,144
12 2019 87.7 -12.3 pts 76.1% 8,507
13 2012 87.1 -12.9 pts 58.3% 9,603
14 2018 87.0 -13.0 pts 73.4% 7,284
15 2011 86.2 -13.8 pts 55.4% 15,536
16 2016 85.2 -14.8 pts 66.5% 10,161
17 2017 84.9 -15.1 pts 68.9% 7,177
18 2014 Inspect 83.7 -16.3 pts 59.6% 9,759
19 2015 Inspect 83.6 -16.4 pts 62.3% 11,955
20 2013 Inspect 82.3 -17.7 pts 55.6% 6,924

Why 2013 and 2014 and 2015 rank lower

The 2014 cohort passes 59.6% of tests (-16.3 points versus same-age cars) at a median 106,069 miles, with brakes the leading failure system. The 2015 cohort passes 62.3% of tests (-16.4 points versus same-age cars) at a median 104,140 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2013 cohort passes 55.6% of tests (-17.7 points versus same-age cars) at a median 113,005 miles, with brakes the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2013 example beats a neglected 2006 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (7.8 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Kangoo years should I avoid?

Based on 158,696 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2013, 2014, 2015 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Kangoo year to buy used?

2006 and 2008 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Kangoo reliable overall?

Across 158,696 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 89.3 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.