Used car guide · 2008–2021

Renault Koleos common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Renault Koleos, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 12,362 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

12,362MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
4,050on the UK register
2018best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

20212020201920182017201020092008

What usually goes wrong with a Renault Koleos?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Renault Koleos in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Renault Koleos MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints

    up to 3.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Brake pads

    up to 2.2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

  • Track rod ends

    up to 5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2018.

    Rough price £50–£150 (one end, plus about £30–£50 if it needs a wheel alignment) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

  • Steering rack inner joints

    up to 30.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2017 and 2018.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

  • Suspension arm

    up to 5.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2008 and 2009.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Ball joint

    up to 4.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2017 and 2018.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

Renault Koleos MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2018 Renault Koleos did best (84% passed first time, 1 point above all 2018 cars) and the 2009 did worst (51%, 8 points below all 2009 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202086%87% -11,425
201984%85% -12,942
201884%83% +12,713
201779%80% -11,986
201050%60% -10230 (small sample)
200951%59% -82,354
200849%57% -8712

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Renault Koleos

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 3.5× as often on the Renault Koleos as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the brake pads? (Flagged at MOT 2.2× as often on the Renault Koleos as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the track rod ends? (Flagged at MOT 5× as often on the Renault Koleos as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Renault Koleos?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score