How reliable are Kias? Every model at the MOT
DVSA recorded 2,793,454 MOT tests on Kia cars in 2023 to 2025, and 74.4% were a pass. That is 2.7 points above the figure for every car tested. Below, each of the 26 models with enough tests to judge. The best-performing Kia with a meaningful sample is the Stonic at 88% and the weakest the Carens at 64.9%. A gap that size within one make usually reflects the age of the cars still on the road rather than the design, which is why the age-adjusted column matters.
| Model | Pass rate | Age-adjusted | Tests | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sportage | 76.5% | -0.6 | 785,093 | 2005 to 2023 |
| Kia Picanto | 71.2% | -0.5 | 545,558 | 2004 to 2022 |
| Kia Ceed | 67.1% | -4.2 | 350,951 | 2007 to 2022 |
| Kia RIO | 69.6% | -1.5 | 287,767 | 2005 to 2022 |
| Kia Niro | 87.9% | +2.3 | 229,954 | 2016 to 2024 |
| Kia Venga | 72.3% | +0.2 | 139,252 | 2010 to 2019 |
| Kia Sorento | 68.6% | -1.3 | 98,054 | 2004 to 2020 |
| Kia Soul | 70.6% | +0.5 | 71,542 | 2009 to 2021 |
| Kia Stonic | 88% | +3.2 | 70,872 | 2017 to 2022 |
| Kia Carens | 64.9% | -6.6 | 40,764 | 2007 to 2018 |
| Kia Optima | 79.4% | +0.4 | 31,842 | 2012 to 2019 |
| Kia XCeed | 87.6% | +0.5 | 30,174 | 2019 to 2022 |
| Kia Sportage 2 | 85.5% | -1.8 | 17,549 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Kia Sedona | 54.9% | -2.6 | 13,859 | 2005 to 2011 |
| Kia ProCeed | 84.2% | -2.1 | 13,349 | 2019 to 2022 |
| Kia Xceed 2 | 86.9% | 0 | 13,242 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Kia Sportage 3 | 86.6% | -1.4 | 11,370 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Kia CEED 2 | 83.4% | -3 | 8,276 | 2019 to 2021 |
| Kia EV6 | 90.4% | +2.1 | 7,496 | 2021 to 2024 |
| Kia Stonic 2 | 88.7% | +1.4 | 6,793 | 2021 to 2022 |
| Kia Stinger | 87.2% | +3.5 | 4,729 | 2018 to 2019 |
| Kia Sportage 4 | 87.3% | -1.2 | 4,550 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Kia Sorento 3 | 87% | -0.3 | 4,401 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Kia Xceed 4 | 90% | +2.2 | 2,987 | 2021 to 2022 |
| Kia Sorento 4 | 88.3% | +1 | 1,645 | 2021 to 2021 |
| Kia RIO 3 | 87.8% | +0.4 | 1,385 | 2021 to 2021 |
Each model page breaks the figures down by year of first use and by mileage, lists the defects that fail it and the advisories testers record before a failure, and compares petrol, diesel and hybrid versions where the data allows. For a specific car, the free MOT history check shows its own record against these averages, and the all makes ranked shows where Kia sits overall.
Questions people ask
Are Kias reliable?
Kia cars pass 74.4% of MOTs against 71.7% for all cars, from 2,793,454 tests, and 88.2% pass their first test at three years old. Within the range the Stonic is the strongest once age is allowed for and the Carens the weakest.
Which Kia is the most reliable?
Age-adjusted, the Kia Stonic, at +3.2 points against cars of the same age.
What fails Kias most at the MOT?
Across the range: wipers not clearing the screen, tyre tread below the legal minimum and brake pads worn below 1.5mm. Each model page lists its own top failures and the advisories that come before them.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Methodology.