Kia Optima 2020: MOT failure rate for its age

15.3% of 295 MOT tests of the Kia Optima first registered in 2020 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 107.2 (95% CI 75.9–138.5; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2020 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

Kia Optima built in 2020 at a glance
Measure	Value	Unit	Compared with	Years	Tests
Failed first time	15.3	%	all ages tested	2019–2024	295
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 75.9–138.5)	107.2	index	100 = normal for this model at that age	2019–2024	295
Rank among this model's 9 build years	5	of 9	1 = fails least for its age	2019–2024	295
Tested in 2024	140	tests	median 47,763 miles	2024	140

Built 2020 against Kia Optima normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 3: 12.3% vs 12.3%; age 4: 18.6% vs 16.3%. Axis from 0% to 20%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Check a 2020 Kia Optima by registration · All Kia Optima MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2020 Kia Optima fail at each age?

Cars built in 2020 were tested at ages 3 to 4 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Kia Optima built 2020: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
Age	Tests	Failed, %	95% interval	Normal for this model at that age, %	Index (100 = normal)
3	155 (rough estimate)	12.3	8–18.4	12.3	99.4
4	140 (rough estimate)	18.6	13–25.8	16.3	113.7

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 295 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2020 compare with the years around it?

Among the 9 published build years of the Kia Optima, 2020 ranks 5 (1 = fails least for its age). 2019: index 120.8.

Kia Optima build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build year	Index (100 = normal)	95% interval	Verdict	Tests
2012	113.7	108.1–119.2	worse	4,496
2013	108.6	100.1–117.1	worse (rough estimate)	2,137
2014	108.3	101.5–115.1	worse (rough estimate)	3,774
2015	101.3	94.3–108.2	no different (rough estimate)	3,802
2016	84.5	79.7–89.3	better	7,728
2017	96.4	92.8–99.9	better	17,735
2018	102.4	97.6–107.2	no different	11,007
2019	120.8	113.0–128.5	worse	5,161
2020	107.2	75.9–138.5	no different (rough estimate)	295

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 56,135 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Kia Optima 2020 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/kia-optima/2020/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Kia Optima 2020: MOT failure rate for its age

How does the 2020 Kia Optima fail at each age?

How does 2020 compare with the years around it?

How to cite this page

Related pages

Other pages for this model