Hyundai Kona reliability by year, 2017 to 2023
134,561 Hyundai Konas went through an MOT in the period we analysed, and 87.2% passed. Set against the 71.7% national pass rate, that is a good result on the raw numbers. Allowing for age, the Kona beats a typical car tested at the same age by 1.6 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model about average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 87.6% of Konas pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. When a Kona does fail, wipers not clearing the screen is the item recorded most often.
The Kona's weak points
Wipers not clearing the screen is recorded on 22% of failed Hyundai Kona tests, followed by a tyre worn or cut to the cords at 14.9% and tyre tread below the legal minimum at 11.5%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Wiper blades and washer fluid are two of the most common fails nationally, and the two cheapest to fix. Top up and replace before the test.
What testers flag before it fails
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the Kona the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (12.1% of tests) and a damaged tyre sidewall (9.7%). The advisory conversion table shows which of these are worth acting on first.
Petrol, diesel or hybrid Kona?
Among Hyundai Kona cars, petrol versions pass 87.5% of the time and hybrid versions 86.6%, so fuel makes little difference on this model.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 87.5% | 52,555 |
| Hybrid | 86.6% | 43,295 |
| Electric | 87.4% | 37,706 |
Every Kona year, 2017 to 2023
Between 2017 (87.2%) and 2023 (89%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2020 is the strongest at 87.6% and 2022 the weakest at 86.7%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Kona 2023 | 89% | 1,208 | 15,057 | – |
| Hyundai Kona 2022 | 86.7% | 18,112 | 8,681 | 86.5% |
| Hyundai Kona 2021 | 86.8% | 32,875 | 9,007 | 87.1% |
| Hyundai Kona 2020 | 87.6% | 35,159 | 7,942 | 89.9% |
| Hyundai Kona 2019 | 87.4% | 26,296 | 6,859 | – |
| Hyundai Kona 2018 | 87.1% | 19,673 | 6,595 | – |
| Hyundai Kona 2017 | 87.2% | 1,238 | 6,169 | – |
Pass rate by mileage
On the 2020 cars, a Kona under 40,000 miles passes 89% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 81%. When comparing two used Konas, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2020 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89% | 26,390 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.8% | 6,027 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.3% | 1,671 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 83% | 581 |
| Over 100,000 | 81% | 490 |
How the Kona compares
Set against the rest of the Hyundai range, which averages 73.5%, the Kona at 87.2% is above par. Within the family, see Hyundai i10 MOT pass rate (73.1%), how the Tucson does (82.7%), i20 common problems (72.9%) and how the i30 does (65.1%), or Hyundai reliability by model. Buyers weighing a Kona against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Ford Tourneo (76.5%) and Ford Puma (91.1%). The ranking of every make puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Year by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Hyundai Kona 2023 89% pass 1,208 tests
On a 2023 Hyundai Kona, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 23.3% of failed tests, with headlamp aim out of adjustment next at 12.8%.
2023 cars pass 89.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 100% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.9% | 967 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.5% | 170 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80.4% | 51 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80% | 10 |
| Over 100,000 | 100% | 10 |
Hyundai Kona 2022 86.7% pass 18,112 tests86.5% at first MOT
On a 2022 Hyundai Kona, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 23.1% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 17.6%.
2022 cars pass 87.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 86.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.4% | 15,692 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.1% | 1,919 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.6% | 353 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 86.5% | 96 |
| Over 100,000 | 86.5% | 52 |
By fuel: hybrid 86.4% (10,922 tests), electric 87.1% (6,828 tests).
Hyundai Kona 2021 86.8% pass 32,875 tests87.1% at first MOT
On a 2021 Hyundai Kona, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 22.3% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 18%.
2021 cars pass 88% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 85.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88% | 25,261 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.2% | 5,453 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.8% | 1,375 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 86.2% | 470 |
| Over 100,000 | 85.8% | 316 |
By fuel: hybrid 86.3% (17,310 tests), electric 87.2% (14,803 tests), petrol 89.5% (762 tests).
Hyundai Kona 2020 87.6% pass 35,159 tests89.9% at first MOT
On a 2020 Hyundai Kona, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 24.3% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 15.7%.
2020 cars pass 89% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 81% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89% | 26,390 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.8% | 6,027 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.3% | 1,671 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 83% | 581 |
| Over 100,000 | 81% | 490 |
By fuel: hybrid 87.4% (13,205 tests), electric 87.3% (12,208 tests), petrol 88.1% (9,741 tests).
Hyundai Kona 2019 87.4% pass 26,296 tests
On a 2019 Hyundai Kona, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 27.1% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13.8%.
2019 cars pass 89% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 82.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89% | 18,322 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 84.6% | 5,942 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.3% | 1,486 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.6% | 368 |
| Over 100,000 | 82.4% | 176 |
By fuel: petrol 87.5% (21,756 tests), electric 88.4% (2,533 tests), hybrid 85.3% (1,858 tests).
Hyundai Kona 2018 87.1% pass 19,673 tests
On a 2018 Hyundai Kona, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 19% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 17.7%.
2018 cars pass 89.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.5% | 11,185 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85% | 6,052 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80.5% | 1,902 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.5% | 389 |
| Over 100,000 | 80% | 145 |
By fuel: petrol 87% (19,058 tests), electric 87.3% (606 tests).
Hyundai Kona 2017 87.2% pass 1,238 tests
On a 2017 Hyundai Kona, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 22.2% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 13.3%.
2017 cars pass 89.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 70% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.9% | 585 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.7% | 447 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 79.9% | 164 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 75% | 32 |
| Over 100,000 | 70% | 10 |
Questions people ask
Is the Hyundai Kona reliable?
On MOT evidence the Hyundai Kona is about average. It passes 87.2% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 1.6 points. 87.6% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 134,561 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Hyundai Kona MOT failures?
Wipers not clearing the screen (22% of failed tests), a tyre worn or cut to the cords (14.9%) and tyre tread below the legal minimum (11.5%). Wiper blades and washer fluid are two of the most common fails nationally, and the two cheapest to fix. Top up and replace before the test.
Which Hyundai Kona year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2020 cars have the highest pass rate at 87.6% and 2022 cars the lowest at 86.7%. 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 Hyundai Kona usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 12.1% of all Kona tests, then a damaged tyre sidewall (9.7%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Hyundai Kona do?
About 7,941 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.
How do I check a particular Hyundai Kona?
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.
Own a Kona?
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 7,941 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.