All generations and engines together · 147,947 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 40k
Middling for its age among city cars, though worse than most per mile driven. Watch suspension and corrosion. A fair used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
On the 2008-2016 Ka (Mk2), the top mounts for the front struts corrode and wear, giving a harsher ride and a squeak or knock over bumps and on full steering lock. This lines up with the measured MOT data, where suspension is the standout fault for this model. Typical repair for mounts and associated parts runs £150-450.
Later Mk2 cars built to EU6 emissions (from around 2013) can idle roughly, stumble on light throttle, or need extra revs to pull away on a hill without stalling. Ford and Fiat dealers (the Mk2 was Fiat-built) have addressed it with an ECU software update, so it counts as manufacturer-acknowledged rather than just owner chatter. No cost to the buyer if done under a recall-style campaign, but check it has actually been applied.
A grinding or whining noise from the gearbox, sometimes with a slipping or heavy clutch, points to input bearing wear on the Mk2's C17 manual box, occasionally with oil weeping onto the clutch itself. Separately, the clutch master or slave cylinder can leak and give a spongy or sinking pedal. Repairs run roughly £380 for the bearing and £600-700 for a full clutch job if the leak has already contaminated it.
The early pushrod 1.3 fitted before 2002 is known for emulsifying oil that blocks oil passages, and for cam followers wearing because they were not properly case-hardened, leaving the engine noisy and tappety. Left unchecked it can starve the rocker gear of oil. Cam follower and oil system work is a few hundred pounds; ignoring it risks bigger engine damage.
Rust is the biggest killer on older Kas, starting hidden under the side skirts and rear wheel arches and rotting from the inside out, with sills and rear spring seats also affected. It's worst on the Mk1 (1996-2008) but shows up on higher-mileage Mk2s too. Once it reaches structural points like sills or spring seats, repair can run into four figures or write the car off; there's no manufacturer fix, it's down to the age and salt exposure of the individual car.
On the 2016-2019 Ka+ diesel, the DPF can block up if the car is mostly used for short trips, bringing on warning lights, a rough idle and reduced power until it's forced to regenerate on a longer run. A forced dealer regen or, in bad cases, a replacement filter, are the usual fixes and can cost several hundred pounds.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 42,254 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (City cars), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.
Head to head with the other popular cars in its class on reliability and common faults.