Kia Optima reliability: what 32k MOT tests show
Across 31,842 MOT tests on Kia Optima cars first used between 2012 and 2019, 79.4% passed first time. The figure for all cars is 71.7%. Set against cars of the same age rather than the whole fleet, the Optima is about average at +0.4 points. When a Optima does fail, brake pads worn below 1.5mm is the item recorded most often.
What fails a Kia Optima at its MOT
Brake pads worn below 1.5mm is recorded on 18.5% of failed Kia Optima tests, followed by tyre tread below the legal minimum at 12.3% and a tyre worn or cut to the cords at 8.1%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Brake failures tend to be pads and discs worn past the limit rather than anything sudden. If the car has done more than 40,000 miles since the last set, have them looked at first.
What testers flag before it fails
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the Optima the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (18.7% of tests) and brake pads worn below 1.5mm (12.8%). Nationally, an advisory on lights becomes a failure 36.1% of the time.
Optima pass rate by fuel
Among Kia Optima cars, hybrid versions pass 86.3% of the time and diesel versions 78.8%, a gap of 7.5 points. Diesels tend to be bought for high mileage, which shows up at the test as wear. Hybrid versions are newer cars on average, so some of that gap is age rather than engineering.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 78.8% | 29,081 |
| Hybrid | 86.3% | 2,516 |
Pass rate by year of first use
The oldest Optimas on the road, from 2012, pass 60.7% of the time; the 2019 cars pass 81.2%. Read the table as an age curve first and a quality ranking second.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Optima 2019 | 81.2% | 4,991 | 12,332 |
| Kia Optima 2018 | 83.1% | 7,955 | 11,728 |
| Kia Optima 2017 | 81% | 9,738 | 11,291 |
| Kia Optima 2016 | 81.9% | 3,724 | 9,995 |
| Kia Optima 2015 | 74.8% | 1,799 | 9,231 |
| Kia Optima 2014 | 68.3% | 1,725 | 9,103 |
| Kia Optima 2012 | 60.7% | 1,910 | 8,359 |
Mileage matters more than the badge
On the 2017 cars, a Optima under 40,000 miles passes 87.7% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 78.9%. When comparing two used Optimas, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2017 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.7% | 745 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.5% | 2,313 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.6% | 2,808 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.9% | 1,868 |
| Over 100,000 | 78.9% | 2,004 |
How the Optima compares
Set against the rest of the Kia range, which averages 74.4%, the Optima at 79.4% is above par. Within the family, see Sportage common problems (76.5%), the Ceed (67.1%), the Niro (87.9%) and Kia Soul MOT pass rate (70.6%), or the Kia range at the MOT. Buyers weighing a Optima against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Peugeot Rifter (80.9%) and BMW M3 (86.3%). The reliability index for all makes and models puts them side by side, and the UK pass rates by age and fuel give the baseline.
Failure lists and mileage by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Kia Optima 2019 81.2% pass 4,991 tests
On a 2019 Kia Optima, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 18.7% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 15.9%.
2019 cars pass 84.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 76.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.8% | 1,253 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.9% | 1,564 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 79.1% | 1,057 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.9% | 557 |
| Over 100,000 | 76.4% | 560 |
By fuel: diesel 80.5% (4,350 tests), hybrid 87% (516 tests).
Kia Optima 2018 83.1% pass 7,955 tests
On a 2018 Kia Optima, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 22.5% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 14.3%.
2018 cars pass 84.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.8% | 1,171 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.3% | 2,390 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.6% | 2,029 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.7% | 1,168 |
| Over 100,000 | 80.1% | 1,197 |
By fuel: diesel 82.8% (7,355 tests), hybrid 86.7% (518 tests).
Kia Optima 2017 81% pass 9,738 tests
On a 2017 Kia Optima, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 21% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 15.6%.
2017 cars pass 87.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 78.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.7% | 745 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.5% | 2,313 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.6% | 2,808 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.9% | 1,868 |
| Over 100,000 | 78.9% | 2,004 |
By fuel: diesel 80.6% (9,012 tests), hybrid 86.2% (716 tests).
Kia Optima 2016 81.9% pass 3,724 tests
On a 2016 Kia Optima, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 19% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13.3%.
2016 cars pass 87.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.5% | 345 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.1% | 789 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.8% | 967 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77% | 766 |
| Over 100,000 | 80.4% | 857 |
By fuel: diesel 80.9% (2,953 tests), hybrid 85.5% (766 tests).
Kia Optima 2015 74.8% pass 1,799 tests
On a 2015 Kia Optima, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 12.1% of failed tests, with play in a track rod end next at 10.8%.
2015 cars pass 87.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 68.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.6% | 129 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.5% | 343 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 75.7% | 465 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 70.4% | 395 |
| Over 100,000 | 68.3% | 467 |
Kia Optima 2014 68.3% pass 1,725 tests
On a 2014 Kia Optima, play in a track rod end appears on 18.7% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 11%.
2014 cars pass 86.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 63% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.7% | 90 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 71.7% | 205 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 68.8% | 407 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 70% | 420 |
| Over 100,000 | 63% | 603 |
Kia Optima 2012 60.7% pass 1,910 tests
On a 2012 Kia Optima, play in a track rod end appears on 16.2% of failed tests, with a binding brake next at 14.8%.
2012 cars pass 82.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 58.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.9% | 70 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.8% | 153 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 59.5% | 338 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 57.4% | 467 |
| Over 100,000 | 58.5% | 881 |
Questions people ask
Is the Kia Optima reliable?
On MOT evidence the Kia Optima is about average. It passes 79.4% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 0.4 points. Figures from 31,842 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Kia Optima MOT failures?
Brake pads worn below 1.5mm (18.5% of failed tests), tyre tread below the legal minimum (12.3%) and a tyre worn or cut to the cords (8.1%). Brake failures tend to be pads and discs worn past the limit rather than anything sudden. If the car has done more than 40,000 miles since the last set, have them looked at first.
Which Kia Optima year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2018 cars have the highest pass rate at 83.1% and 2017 cars the lowest at 81%. 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 Kia Optima usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 18.7% of all Optima tests, then brake pads worn below 1.5mm (12.8%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Kia Optima do?
About 11,001 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is above the UK average of roughly 7,400, which is typical of a car bought for commuting or work.
How do I check a particular Kia Optima?
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 Optima?
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 11,001 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.