How reliable is the Renault Kadjar?
DVSA recorded 202,504 MOT tests on the Renault Kadjar (2015 to 2021 cars) in 2023 to 2025. 76.8% of them were a pass, against 71.7% for every car tested. Age explains some of that but not all: against cars of the same age the Kadjar trails by 4 points, which puts it below average. The cleanest measure of build quality is the first test at three years old, where the Kadjar scores 86.1% against 87.9% for all cars. Top of the failure list: a headlamp not working, on 15% of failed tests.
What fails a Renault Kadjar at its MOT
The Kadjar's failures cluster around lights and brakes: a headlamp not working on 15% of fails, brake pads worn below 1.5mm on 13.2%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Lights are the cheapest category to fail on and the easiest to prevent: walk round the car with every lamp on before you go.
What testers flag before it fails
These are the advisories most often recorded on a Renault Kadjar: items that passed on the day but were wearing. Tyre tread below the legal minimum is noted on 16.7% of all tests. If one of these is on a car's last certificate, it is the next repair. How often each category of advisory turns into a failure is measured across the whole dataset.
Does fuel type matter on a Kadjar?
The petrol Kadjar has the better record at 80.1%; the diesel manages 73.5%. 6.6 points is a real difference.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 80.1% | 101,085 |
| Diesel | 73.5% | 101,084 |
Every Kadjar year, 2015 to 2021
Between 2015 (69%) and 2021 (87.5%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2020 is the strongest at 84.4% and 2015 the weakest at 69%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault Kadjar 2021 | 87.5% | 3,150 | 7,813 | 87.9% |
| Renault Kadjar 2020 | 84.4% | 23,963 | 7,496 | 85.8% |
| Renault Kadjar 2019 | 81.7% | 34,546 | 7,212 | – |
| Renault Kadjar 2018 | 76.9% | 32,391 | 7,910 | – |
| Renault Kadjar 2017 | 75.8% | 43,075 | 8,023 | – |
| Renault Kadjar 2016 | 72% | 56,400 | 8,180 | – |
| Renault Kadjar 2015 | 69% | 8,979 | 8,114 | – |
Mileage matters more than the badge
Take the 2016 Kadjar, the year with the most tests: cars with under 40,000 miles on the clock pass 82.7% of the time, and that falls to 60.9% over 100,000. A 22-point drop across the mileage range is a bigger effect than the difference between most makes.
| Mileage at test (2016 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.7% | 7,326 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.8% | 18,319 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 70.1% | 17,149 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 65.1% | 8,900 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.9% | 4,693 |
Compared with other cars
The average Renault passes 62% of tests, so the Kadjar is one of the stronger cars in the range. Within the family, see Renault Clio MOT pass rate (56.9%), Renault Captur MOT pass rate (77.6%), how the Megane does (54.7%) and Renault Laguna reliability (53.6%), or other Renault models. For a cross-make comparison, the Skoda Superb and Vauxhall Grandland have similar test volumes and their own pages. The full reliability table puts them side by side, and the national MOT statistics give the baseline.
Failure lists and mileage by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Renault Kadjar 2021 87.5% pass 3,150 tests87.9% at first MOT
On a 2021 Renault Kadjar, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 20.1% of failed tests, with headlamp aim out of adjustment next at 14.5%.
2021 cars pass 88.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 57.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88.9% | 2,717 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.6% | 353 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 63.3% | 60 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 84.6% | 13 |
| Over 100,000 | 57.1% | 7 |
Renault Kadjar 2020 84.4% pass 23,963 tests85.8% at first MOT
On a 2020 Renault Kadjar, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 18% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 15.9%.
2020 cars pass 86.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 79.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.1% | 18,466 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.6% | 4,429 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 73.5% | 896 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76.5% | 132 |
| Over 100,000 | 79.5% | 39 |
By fuel: petrol 84.7% (20,663 tests), diesel 82.5% (3,300 tests).
Renault Kadjar 2019 81.7% pass 34,546 tests
On a 2019 Renault Kadjar, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 14.5% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13.9%.
2019 cars pass 84% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84% | 22,359 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.3% | 9,542 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 74.8% | 2,169 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 71.7% | 382 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.7% | 94 |
By fuel: petrol 81.8% (29,999 tests), diesel 80.8% (4,547 tests).
Renault Kadjar 2018 76.9% pass 32,391 tests
On a 2018 Renault Kadjar, a headlamp not working appears on 22.1% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 14.4%.
2018 cars pass 81.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 68.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 81.5% | 12,559 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.4% | 12,271 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.8% | 5,589 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 67.8% | 1,495 |
| Over 100,000 | 68.6% | 474 |
By fuel: petrol 76.8% (20,818 tests), diesel 76.9% (11,573 tests).
Renault Kadjar 2017 75.8% pass 43,075 tests
On a 2017 Renault Kadjar, a headlamp not working appears on 21.1% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 15%.
2017 cars pass 82.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.6% | 10,436 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 76.5% | 16,398 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.2% | 10,537 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 68.4% | 3,952 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.3% | 1,750 |
By fuel: diesel 75.3% (26,674 tests), petrol 76.6% (16,401 tests).
Renault Kadjar 2016 72% pass 56,400 tests
On a 2016 Renault Kadjar, a headlamp not working appears on 16.3% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 13.3%.
2016 cars pass 82.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 60.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.7% | 7,326 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.8% | 18,319 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 70.1% | 17,149 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 65.1% | 8,900 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.9% | 4,693 |
By fuel: diesel 71.3% (47,114 tests), petrol 75.7% (9,286 tests).
Renault Kadjar 2015 69% pass 8,979 tests
On a 2015 Renault Kadjar, a broken coil spring appears on 17.1% of failed tests, with a headlamp not working next at 15.4%.
2015 cars pass 81% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 59.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 81% | 632 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.5% | 2,214 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 68.4% | 3,070 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 64.2% | 1,890 |
| Over 100,000 | 59.8% | 1,168 |
By fuel: diesel 68.2% (7,876 tests), petrol 74.7% (1,103 tests).
Questions people ask
How reliable is the Renault Kadjar?
On MOT evidence the Renault Kadjar is below average. It passes 76.8% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and trails cars of the same age by 4 points. 86.1% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 202,504 DVSA tests.
What fails a Renault Kadjar MOT most often?
A headlamp not working (15% of failed tests), brake pads worn below 1.5mm (13.2%) and tyre tread below the legal minimum (8.9%). Lights are the cheapest category to fail on and the easiest to prevent: walk round the car with every lamp on before you go.
What is the best year for a used Renault Kadjar?
Among years with a large sample, 2020 cars have the highest pass rate at 84.4% and 2015 cars the lowest at 69%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Renault Kadjar usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 16.7% of all Kadjar tests, then brake pads worn below 1.5mm (13.4%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Renault Kadjar do?
About 7,849 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is close to the UK average of roughly 7,400.
Does the Renault Kadjar pass rate apply to my car?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Checking a Kadjar before you buy?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 7,849 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.