Ranked #8 car in the UK · SUV · 23,456 units sold last year

Ford Kuga

The third-generation Ford Kuga (2019 on) is one of the UK's most popular family SUVs, and its plug-in hybrid was for a time the best-selling PHEV in Europe. It's spacious, comfortable and cheap to run in PHEV form for drivers who can charge, with 1.5 EcoBoost petrol and 1.5 EcoBlue diesel also offered. It prioritises comfort and practicality over driving polish - cross-shop the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and VW Tiguan.

Ford Kuga
Photo: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Body
SUV
Years
2018–2026
Fuel
Petrol / Diesel / Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid
Economy
44 mpg

combined

Insurance
Group 22

The short version

54/100

Forecourt score

Value 43 · Reliability 66 · Insurance 50

The Ford Kuga holds its value about averagely and costs about average to run. Its MOT-based reliability is good, 78 out of 100, ahead of 66% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 43% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Fuel

Hybrid · 2487cc

Power

190 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

48 mpg

The volume Kuga. 2.5L Full Hybrid (Toyota-derived hybrid system under Ford-Toyota partnership), 190 PS combined, e-CVT, FWD. 9.1s 0-62. 48+ mpg achievable. Titanium — 18-inch wheels, climate, 12.3-inch screen. UK's volume mid-SUV.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

2023
20182026
26,265 mi
0Expected: 26,265180k
good
PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.

£15,650

Range £13,150£18,300

medium confidence

When new (2023)£33,500Age-based value£21,105Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region+£22Market calibration-£4,427Forecourt price£16,700Private sale£14,600Part-exchange£12,850
Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 26,265 miles it’s about the ~27,241 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

£

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Ford Kuga loses value over time.

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 26,265 miles you entered above — worth about £15,650 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 8,755 miles a year.

5-year total

£17,444

Per year

£3,489

All-in per mile

£0.40

Fuel per mile

15.8p

Depreciation£2,412
Fuel / energy£6,932
Servicing£1,765
Road tax£975
Insurance£5,360

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £1,750 a year — under half the £5,400 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 43%
Reliabilitybetter than 66%
Fuel economybetter than 49%
Cheap to insurebetter than 50%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Hybrid / PHEV

Ford's volume mid-SUV. UK class-leading sales. Cross-shop Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, VW Tiguan. PHEV had major 2020 battery recall — check service history. The Hybrid is the safer used buy.

New price
£36,000
Annual fuel / energy
£1,300
3-yr depreciation
48%

Watch for

  • ·🔔 2020 PHEV battery cell defect campaign — 33,000 cars affected
  • ·Software glitches on early infotainment (improved)
  • ·Ford reliability average

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 22 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

3 years
0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+
Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,072/ year

Roughly £89 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.
Age bandLower riskTypicalHigher risk
Age 17-25£2,444£3,055£3,972
Age 26-32£1,276£1,501£1,831
Age 33-39Selected£943£1,072£1,265
Age 40-49£801£890£1,032
Age 50+£714£793£936

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

8,755 mi/yr
2,000UK avg for this model: 8,75530,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,235

44 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£1,072

Age 33-39, group 22

Clean-air zones

ULEZ compliant
  • Plug-in Hybrid, Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,897 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

215/65 R17 · 235/55 R18 · 235/50 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

OptionNew costAdded used valueReturn

Tow bar (factory-fit)

Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.

£650£45069%

Parking sensors & reversing camera

Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.

£500£30060%

Heated seats / cold-weather pack

£450£20044%

Metallic or premium paint

Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.

£600£20033%

Panoramic / opening roof

£1,100£35032%

Larger alloy wheels

£700£20029%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 26,265 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 5.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 3.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,759,973 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Ford Kuga, from its 2019 assessment.

5/5
TEST YEAR2019
Rating expired (test protocol superseded)

The passenger compartment of the Kuga remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 2,817,297 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

A 3-year-old Kuga passes its MOT 90% of the time; by 18 years that has slipped to 70%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

1%of 18-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 3,935 vehicles registered in 2008.

Survival by registration year

25%50%75%100%20082026

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Kuga currently MOT’d in the UK. From 424,123 vehicles.

  • Diesel 60.3%
  • Hybrid 21.3%
  • Petrol 18.2%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this Kuga fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category0-30k30-60k60-100k100k+
Tyres & wheels2%4%6%7%
Brakes1%3%4%5%
Suspension1%4%7%
Lighting & signalling1%4%7%
Driver's view1%2%2%3%
Emissions1%3%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Kuga at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

  • 0 yr13,821
  • 1 yr15,304
  • 2 yr23,882
  • 3 yr27,241
  • 4 yr35,378
  • 5 yr43,501
  • 6 yr51,854
  • 7 yr60,516
  • 8 yr69,501
  • 9 yr78,329
  • 10 yr86,675
  • 11 yr94,878

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

78/ 100

Good

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 2,759,973 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

86%first-time pass rate

58th percentileAbout catalogue average

Based on 344,351 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

0%50%90%

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

  • 01Early Kuga PHEVs were recalled over a battery fire risk - check by registration that the recall work was completed.
  • 02The 1.5 EcoBoost petrol uses a wet belt - budget for replacement and check the service history.
  • 03PHEV running costs only stack up if you charge regularly; never-charged, it just carries battery weight - match the variant to how you'll actually use it.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Ford Kuga, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

  • Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
  • A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
  • A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Ford Kuga into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

CityAreaDaily chargeLikely outcome
LondonAll of Greater London (within the M25)£12.50
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
BirminghamInside the A4540 Middleway£8.00
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
BristolCity centre and part of the Portway£9.00
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
GlasgowCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
EdinburghCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
AberdeenCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
DundeeCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

  • BathCity centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
  • BradfordOuter ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
  • SheffieldInside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
  • Newcastle & GatesheadCity centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
  • PortsmouthPart of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Ford is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~290

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Ford is 6.4% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,600 mm

Width

1,880 mm

Height

1,650 mm

Kerb weight

1,750 kg

Boot

500–1,600 L

Fuel tank

60 L

How many are still out there

Of every Ford Kuga ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

384,303

Currently taxed & on road

377,026

98% of all registered

SORN (off road)

7,277

2% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

0

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+4.9% vs 2024
82,041377,026

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Ford Kuga, answered

Is the Ford Kuga ULEZ compliant?
Most petrol Ford Kugas from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Ford Kuga in?
The Ford Kuga sits in insurance group 22 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Ford Kuga reliable?
Our reliability score for the Ford Kuga is 78 out of 100 (good), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 86% at the reference age.
What economy does the Ford Kuga get?
Expect roughly around 44 mpg combined for a typical Ford Kuga, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Ford Kuga?
On the Ford Kuga, the issues that come up most by mileage include Tyres & wheels, Brakes and Suspension. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many Ford Kugas are on UK roads?
About 377,026 Ford Kugas are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Same underpinnings

Built on the Ford C2 platform

Ford's global compact-car platform. Underpins the current Focus and Kuga, plus crossovers globally. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Ford C2 platform · Ford

Common questions

Ford Kuga, answered from the data

Is the Ford Kuga reliable?
The Ford Kuga scores 78/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 58% of the cars we track. That is computed from 2,817,297 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Ford Kuga cost?
A 2023 Ford Kuga with around 26,265 miles is worth roughly £15,650 today (typical range £14,100–£17,150). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Ford Kuga depreciate?
A new Ford Kuga typically loses about 37% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Ford Kuga?
The Ford Kuga sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Ford Kuga?
The most common age-related issues we track for the Ford Kuga are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Ford Kuga cost to run?
Expect around 44 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.

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