Used Kia Venga review and buying guide (2010 to 2019): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Kia Venga should you buy?

A manual Venga with a rust-free fuel tank and steering that feels right is the safer buy, and a 1.6 CRDi needs a complete oil change record on top. That diesel carries the Venga's one known fault, rated High: on 2010 to 2018 cars, carbon from infrequent oil changes can block the turbo's oil feed pipes and strainers, and the turbo then fails, typically between 70,000 and 120,000 miles.

Beyond that fault, the owners' reports keep coming back to the electric power steering: several describe it failing or switching itself off, two of them on 2010 cars. A manual's also the simpler choice, because two owners of 2010 automatics had the selector lever go stiff or stick, one needing extra force to find reverse, and one report says the lightest touch on the brake pedal made an automatic's engine lose power.

Cars from later in the run, up to 2019, have less written about them, but that isn't proof anything was fixed, and a thin record isn't a clean one. Fuel tank rust has turned up on a 2012 diesel and on a 2013 car at 65,000 miles, so a newer Venga needs the same look underneath as an early one.

Which Venga engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.6 CRDi diesel is the one engine with a known fault, and it's rated High. When oil changes are skipped, carbon chokes the turbo's oil feed pipes and strainers, and the signs are a loud whine or siren noise from the turbo, a loss of power and blue exhaust smoke. It runs a timing chain with no scheduled replacement, though the tensioner can fail if the oil isn't changed often, so oil history decides whether it's worth having.

The 1.6 GDi petrol has the same chain arrangement and the same tensioner caveat, and one owner's GDi tensioner broke, smashed the valves and needed the head rebuilt. A 2010 GDi with 70,000 miles was noisy on start-up. The petrol engines are coarse and old-fashioned to drive, but that's character rather than a fault.

The 1.4 CRDi has no known fault logged, which isn't the same as a clean record: one owner called its throttle lag incurable, and another who'd covered 50,000 miles across two of them described pressing the accelerator with nothing happening. An owner of the identical 2011 Hyundai ix20 1.4 CRDi had poor starting below 3C. Early cars went without a DPF until late 2011.

There's nothing on record against the manual gearbox. Two owners of 2010 automatics had sticking selectors: on one, a 1.6 with the 4-speed torque converter, it was traced to a seized selector shaft, and on the other to a stretched cable that was fixed and then played up again. The 1.6 GDi with the DCT automatic has one complaint of hesitation when pulling out of side roads.

What should you check when viewing a used Venga?

Get a look under the back at the fuel tank and the bracket that secures its breather, because two owners had the tank rust, one on a 2012 diesel that leaked through pinholes. A smell of fuel, a damp tank or an MoT advisory for corrosion on the fuel filter housing means the tank needs a proper inspection before you buy.

On the drive, turn the wheel from lock to lock at low speed and check it stays light with no warning light on the dash. Owners have had the power steering fail, one of them twice, and a 1.4 diesel owner had the steering, dash lights and stop-start all drop out at once until the engine was restarted. On a 1.6 CRDi, listen for a whine from the turbo under load and watch the mirror for blue smoke.

Open every door from the inside, since rear doors that won't open from inside and sticking central locking have both been reported. On an automatic, move the lever through every position and start it in Park; any stiffness is the selector problem two owners had. Listen for the front pads rattling loose in the calipers, make sure the handbrake releases fully (an ix20 owner's rear caliper jammed on at 8,500 miles) and check the tailgate stays up on its own.

Tap through the touchscreen and make sure it responds to a light touch, because a 2015 car's screen lost its sensitivity, and check the fuel gauge reads sensibly, as two owners had theirs go wrong. For paperwork, ask for dated receipts for every oil change on a 1.6 CRDi or 1.6 GDi, since that protects the turbo and the chain tensioner, plus records of any steering or gear selector work.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Kia Venga cost to run?

What do Venga owners like about them?

The Venga's easy to drive and just as easy to park, so squeezing into a tight space isn't a chore. At low speeds around town the ride's comfortable, which makes it a relaxed thing to potter about in on local trips and in slow traffic, where it's at its most at home.

There's a big boot for a car that's so easy to park, and the back seats are roomy rather than a token bench. That mix of space and easy manners is the reason to choose one: rear passengers aren't squeezed in as an afterthought, and the load area takes a decent amount of luggage for its size.

• The Kia Venga is very easy to drive and park, making it convenient for urban use.
• The Venga offers a comfortable ride quality at low speeds, particularly when driving around town.
• The car features a large boot and spacious back seats, providing good practicality and passenger comfort.
• The Kia Venga received a German-based iF product design award for redefining the conventional mini-van profile.
• The Venga achieved a 5-star NCAP rating, with high scores for adult and child occupant protection.