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What to check: Kia Picanto

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Ranked across all years of the Kia Picanto, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 4.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 3.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Handbrake holdRuns high on this modelStop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 1.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

A binding brakeRuns high on this modelAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.0%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

WheelsRuns high on this modelLook at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 1.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this modelCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 24.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 11.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 10.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%

Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this modelScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Apply and release the handbrake a few times, then check all four wheels turn freely by hand or feel for drag on a short drive.Resistance or a burning smell means a rear caliper or parking brake mechanism is starting to stick.

On an automatic (AMT) car, start from a dead stop, including reverse-to-drive at a junction.A pronounced hesitation, jerk, or a refusal to engage is the AMT's known launch behaviour, not necessarily a fault, but confirm you're happy living with it.

On a manual, pull away on a slight incline and reverse up a slope if you can.A juddering sensation through the pedal is the reported clutch judder; get the clutch inspected before buying if it's noticeable.

Hold the car at 3,000-4,000rpm and feel for a flat spot or delay in throttle response, especially on a 2018-model-year car.A hesitant or dead patch under acceleration points to the reported throttle potentiometer fault.

Test every function on the touchscreen, including the reversing camera, and check it survives being switched off and on again.Any freezing, blank screen or camera dropout is the reported infotainment failure, expensive and slow to fix due to parts.

Check the full MOT advisory history, not just the pass/fail line.Repeat brake advisories year after year suggest a sticking caliper being patched rather than fixed.

On pre-2011 cars, have a look and listen around the front pulley and crank area at idle.Unusual rattle or vibration from that area is worth a second opinion given the reported pulley/crank issues on early cars.

Full Kia Picanto reliability report