Which Kia models fail their MOT less for their age?
In 2024, 78.7% of MOTs on the 17 Kia models published here passed (73.8% first time, 4.9% after a fix at the test centre), from 935,732 first tests. Allowing for age (not mileage), these Kia models fail 5% more often than normal: brand MOT Risk Index 105.5 (95% CI 105.1–105.8; 100 = normal).
Among Kia models with at least 10,000 first tests, the Kia Stonic has the lowest index (81.3) and the Kia Carens the highest (124.7). On raw pass rates, the Kia Niro comes first instead, because the models' fleets differ in age.
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 25 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
Which Kia models fail least and most for their age?
Of the 17 Kia models, 4 fail less often than normal for their age, 9 more often, and 4 cannot be told apart from normal because their 95% intervals include 100.
| Model | MOT pass rate, % | Passed first time, % | MOT Risk Index | 95% interval | First tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia EV6 | 94.8 | 93.0 | 65.4 | 54.0–79.2 | 1,393 |
| Kia Stonic | 91.2 | 88.0 | 81.3 | 78.7–83.9 | 26,811 |
| Kia Stinger | 88.8 | 86.8 | 83.5 | 74.8–93.1 | 2,119 |
| Kia Niro | 91.3 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 86.9–90.2 | 79,411 |
| Kia Soul | 75.5 | 70.8 | 98.9 | 97.0–100.8 | 24,610 |
| Kia Optima | 82.2 | 79.0 | 99.0 | 95.5–102.6 | 11,304 |
| Kia Venga | 78.6 | 72.2 | 99.0 | 97.5–100.4 | 47,237 |
| Kia XCeed | 90.2 | 87.1 | 101.8 | 97.8–106.0 | 15,903 |
| Kia Picanto | 76.5 | 70.9 | 104.6 | 103.8–105.3 | 185,577 |
| Kia Sportage | 79.7 | 75.7 | 104.9 | 104.2–105.6 | 257,674 |
| Kia Sorento | 74.7 | 70.3 | 106.1 | 104.4–107.8 | 36,420 |
| Kia Rio | 75.0 | 69.3 | 106.8 | 105.8–107.8 | 98,818 |
| Kia Sedona | 61.4 | 54.4 | 109.8 | 106.5–113.1 | 5,096 |
| Kia Ceed | 73.0 | 67.1 | 116.5 | 115.5–117.4 | 121,743 |
| Kia Cerato | 56.5 | 49.2 | 117.7 | 109.4–126.0 | 744 |
| Kia ProCeed | 81.2 | 76.7 | 120.6 | 115.2–126.2 | 6,099 |
| Kia Carens | 70.6 | 63.5 | 124.7 | 122.1–127.4 | 14,773 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2024 · n = 935,732 (initial tests) · Method: MOT Risk Index = observed first-time failures ÷ failures expected for the same age profile × 100; brand index sums both over the 17 models · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Where are Kia models worse than other cars of the same age?
Allowing for age, Kia models fail on brakes more than other cars of the same age: 14.3 failures per 100 tests against 8.5 expected (5.7 more; 95% interval 5.70 to 5.77).
| Failure group | Kia, per 100 tests | Expected for the same age | Difference | 95% interval | Most common failure on (models) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 14.3 | 8.5 | +5.7 | 5.70 to 5.77 | 7 of 17 |
| Steering | 4.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 | 2.03 to 2.07 | 0 of 17 |
| Visibility | 8.1 | 6.8 | +1.3 | 1.28 to 1.33 | 2 of 17 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.6 | 12.2 | +0.4 | 0.40 to 0.47 | 5 of 17 |
| Tyres | 8.7 | 8.3 | +0.4 | 0.33 to 0.39 | 3 of 17 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.8 | 0.7 | +0.1 | 0.10 to 0.12 | 0 of 17 |
| Suspension | 10.8 | 10.8 | +0.1 | 0.04 to 0.10 | 0 of 17 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.4 | 3.4 | +0.0 | 0.02 to 0.05 | 0 of 17 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.3 | 0.3 | -0.1 | -0.07 to -0.06 | 0 of 17 |
| Road Wheels | 0.2 | 0.4 | -0.1 | -0.14 to -0.13 | 0 of 17 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.0 | 2.5 | -0.6 | -0.57 to -0.54 | 0 of 17 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,692,980 (initial tests of the 17 models) · Method: failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for the same age and kind of vehicle; interval from the count of failures (Poisson); a group is named only when its interval is wholly above zero and it is at least 5% above the expected rate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Kia MOT statistics by model 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/brand/kia/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
Report an error
What is wrong on this page? One tap sends the category only, no text and nothing about you.