Renault Kadjar: common problems, best years and what to check
Qashqai-based family SUV; good value used. Covers 2015–2022 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.
Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide
Is the Renault Kadjar a good used buy?
Best buy
2018+ 1.3 TCe 140 or 1.5 dCi
Avoid
1.2 TCe 130
Who it suits: Families wanting a roomy SUV on a budget.
What's good
- Good value
- Comfortable
- Frugal dCi
- Roomy boot
What's not
- 1.2 TCe engine problems
- Dull to drive
- Weak resale
- Discontinued
By the numbers
- #119 most common model on UK roads, with about 68k licensed (DfT).
- The biggest surviving year is 2016: 18.6k cars still licensed.
- 1.5 dCi uses a belt (72k / 6 yrs): budget £350–£550 if there's no invoice.
- The most expensive common fault: Oil consumption / engine damage (up to £4,000).
Renault Kadjar common problems by generation and engine
Renault Kadjar Kadjar (2015–2022) · SUV
How to spot it: 15 plate to 22 plate. Chrome strips under the headlights; Qashqai underneath.
1.5 dCi (K9K, diesel, 2015–2022)
Very frugal; bearings and belt need care
- Crank/big-end bearing wear on neglected engines£1,500–£3,50080k+ · Check: Oil-change history
- Timing belt£350–£55072k / 6 yrs
1.3 TCe 140/160 (H5Ht, petrol, 2018–2022)
Strong and smooth; early oil-consumption reports
- Oil consumption / turbo actuator£300–£1,50040k+
1.2 TCe 130 (H5Ft, petrol, 2015–2018)
Oil consumption risk
- Oil consumption / engine damage£1,000–£4,00040k+
Faults on any Kadjar (2015–2022) engine
- EDC auto jerkiness£0–£1,500any
Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.
Best and worst Renault Kadjar years
How many Renault Kadjars from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.
No year clearly outlasts similar cars. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.
Renault Kadjar MOT pass rate and common failures
First-time pass rate (2025)
Average UK car of the same age
MOT tests analysed (2015+ cars)
Renault Kadjars pass their MOT first time 6 points less often than the average UK car of the same age (74% vs 80%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.
| First registered | Pass rate | Average UK car that age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 65% | 72% | 78k miles |
| 2016 | 67% | 75% | 71k miles |
| 2017 | 72% | 78% | 61k miles |
| 2018 | 75% | 81% | 53k miles |
| 2019 | 80% | 84% | 42k miles |
| 2020 | 82% | 86% | 35k miles |
| 2021 | 86% | 87% | 29k miles |
| 2022 | 89% | 89% | 23k miles |
Pass rate by fuel
Petrol
Diesel
Fuels differ in age and mileage mix, so treat this as a pattern rather than a like-for-like comparison.
Most common MOT failures
- Headlamp: not working on dipped beam4.3 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick4.12 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3.93 per 100
- Coil spring: fractured or broken3.78 per 100
- Ball joint excessively worn2.65 per 100
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively2.51 per 100
- Tyres: has ply or cords exposed2.09 per 100
- Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.05 per 100
Most common advisories
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm24.77 per 100
- Tyres: has a tear18.79 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick18.41 per 100
- Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened14.88 per 100
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn9.69 per 100
- Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt5.15 per 100
- Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn4.47 per 100
- Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm3.1 per 100
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Does the Renault Kadjar have a timing belt or chain?
| Engine | Type | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 dCi | belt | 72k / 6 yrs | £350–£550 |
| 1.3 TCe | chain | durable | £600–£1,100 |
Renault Kadjar running costs
Road tax (from April 2017)
Road tax (before April 2017)
Insurance groups
Real-world economy
Servicing (independent)
Tyres
Warranty when new
Is the Renault Kadjar ULEZ compliant?
- Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
- Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
- Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.
Safety and practicality
Euro NCAP
Boot
Seats
Renault Kadjar vs rivals
| Model | On UK roads | Insurance | Boot | Best buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault Kadjar | 68k | 15–22 | 472 l | 2018+ 1.3 TCe 140 or 1.5 dCi |
| Nissan Qashqai | 646k | 13–22 | 430 l | 2018–2021 J11 1.3 DIG-T manual |
| Peugeot 3008 | 161k | 14–28 | 520 l | 2017–2023 Mk2 1.5/1.6 BlueHDi |
| Kia Sportage | 373k | 13–25 | 491 l | 2016–2021 QL 1.6 GDi or 1.7 CRDi; 2022+ HEV |
| Ford Kuga | 354k | 15–28 | 475 l | 2013–2019 Mk2 2.0 TDCi manual; 2020+ FHEV |
| Skoda Karoq | 87k | 13–25 | 521 l | 1.5 TSI |
What to check when buying a used Renault Kadjar
- Avoid 1.2 TCe
Renault Kadjar FAQ
›Is the Renault Kadjar reliable?
Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 2018+ 1.3 TCe 140 or 1.5 dCi. Avoid: 1.2 TCe 130.
›What is the Renault Kadjar MOT pass rate?
74% of Renault Kadjars passed their MOT first time in 2025 (61,466 tests), below the 80% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: headlamp: not working on dipped beam.
›What are the most common Renault Kadjar problems?
The costliest known faults are Oil consumption / engine damage; Crank/big-end bearing wear on neglected engines; Oil consumption / turbo actuator. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.
›Does the Renault Kadjar have a timing belt or chain?
1.5 dCi: belt; 1.3 TCe: chain.
›What is the best year Renault Kadjar to buy?
By DfT survival data, 2016, 2020, 2021 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.
›How much does a Renault Kadjar cost to run?
Real-world economy: 1.3 TCe 40–45 mpg; 1.5 dCi 52–60 mpg. Insurance groups 15–22. A minor service is about £160–£230 at an independent garage.
›How much is road tax on a Renault Kadjar?
Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.
›Is the Renault Kadjar ULEZ compliant?
Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001. Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
How we build this guide
We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.
- How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
- MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
- Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
- Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
- Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.
This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.
Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.