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All models / All cars / Small SUVs / Renault Kadjar

Renault Kadjar

All generations and engines together · 68,749 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 60k

Reliability verdict
EBy age
DBy miles

Graded against its peers

One of the worst small SUVs to buy at this age, and worse than most per mile driven. Watch suspension and lights & electrics. A risky used buy. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
26.6%
Across 12,381 tests. The average for small SUVs is 20.5%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
25.5%
Across 10,795 tests. The average for small SUVs is 21.1%.
Rank in its class
44 of 52
1 = lowest failure rate among the 52 small SUVs we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
60k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

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.

Front-end creaks and a harsh ride, worse on 19in wheels

Partly in the MOT data

Owners report squeaks and rattles from the front suspension along with a harsh, fidgety ride, most often on cars fitted with the optional 19in alloys rather than the standard smaller wheels. Front wheel bearings have also failed as early as the low 40,000-mile mark on at least one reported case. Suspension is the stand-out measured MOT fault for this class of small SUV, and this owner-reported creaking and bearing wear lines up with that pattern, though the data can't confirm which specific part is to blame.

Reported from roughly 40k miles, worse on 19in-wheel cars · sources: Honest John, Auto Express

EDC dual-clutch automatic hesitates or judders pulling away

EmergingEDC automatics only

Cars fitted with Renault's EDC dual-clutch automatic have been reported hesitating or jerking when pulling away from a stop, in one case needing the engine to reach 1,800-1,900rpm before it would move, with a violent jerk as the electronic handbrake released. Owners describe repeat trips back to the dealer for the same complaint. This gearbox is shared across several Renault-Nissan models, so it's worth budgeting for a possible clutch pack or mechatronic repair if you're buying an EDC car out of warranty; manual Kadjars aren't affected.

Reported on EDC automatics, various ages · sources: Honest John owner reports

Manual gearbox stiffness and early clutch failures

Disputed

A small number of owners report the manual gearbox becoming stiff to select, particularly second and sixth, eventually jamming, and separately a clutch hydraulic cylinder failing twice before 24,000 miles on another car. The sample is small enough that it's hard to call this a fleet-wide pattern rather than a couple of unlucky early cars, so treat it as a risk to check for rather than an established fault.

Reported from as early as 10k miles on affected cars · sources: Honest John owner reports

Alarm triggering for no reason

Disputed

Some owners report the alarm going off repeatedly without cause, which looks to be linked to temperature swings affecting the interior movement sensor rather than an electrical fault. It's a nuisance rather than a safety issue and some owners simply disable the interior sensor, but it's worth asking a seller whether it's happened to them.

Reported at various ages · sources: Honest John owner reports

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

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

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive 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 11.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 7.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With 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 5.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 4.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%
Steering playRuns high on this model With 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 2.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%
WheelsRuns high on this model Look 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 2.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Leaks Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check 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 26.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look 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 18.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%
Windscreen and wipers Scan 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 2.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

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

Get a look underneath or on a ramp and check the front suspension for creaks, clonks or play in the bushes and bearings, especially on cars with 19in alloys. Noise here matches both the owner-reported fault and the model's measured MOT suspension pattern.
Turn the infotainment screen on from cold, let it fully boot, and flick through several menus. Slow loading, freezing or a blank screen points to the known R-Link 2 gremlins.
If it's an EDC automatic, pull away gently from a stop and pay attention to the first few gearchanges. Hesitation, jerking or a shudder as the clutch bites is the reported dual-clutch complaint.
On a manual, run through every gear at low speed, including second and sixth. Stiff or notchy selection has been reported and can worsen until the gearbox jams.
Ask the seller if the alarm has ever gone off by itself. A yes points to the known sensor nuisance rather than anything sinister, but confirms it's not just this car.
Check the MOT history for repeated suspension advisories on the same component. The same advisory coming back year after year means the wear was never actually fixed.
Ask for the full service history and, on an EDC automatic, whether the gearbox has ever had attention. A gap in history or an unexplained gearbox line item is worth asking the seller to explain before you buy.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Renault KadjarClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

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.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 50,484 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
14.9%class 7.5%
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
Minor
7.6%class 0.6%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
5.2%class 0.8%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
4.7%class 1.4%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
Minor
3.1%class 0.7%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
2.9%class 0.7%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Advisory
2.6%class 0.4%
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
2.5%class 0.3%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
2.2%class 0.6%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Fail
1.8%class 0.4%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
30.0%class 22.9%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
18.5%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
16.2%class 12.7%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
15.4%class 10.1%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
5.2%class 2.2%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
4.5%class 1.6%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.5%class 3.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
4.4%class 2.3%

Others in its class

Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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