Does the Kia Optima fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Kia Optima records 2.05 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.95 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.10, 95% interval +0.98 to +1.21). It ranks 153 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Kia Optima by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Optima is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 730 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 730 | 1.28 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 186 | 0.33 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 78 | 0.14 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 36 | 0.06 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 31 | 0.05 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 57,208 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Kia Optima gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
15.0% of Kia Optima MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,394 miles later (506 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 506 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Kia Optima 2012 · Kia Optima 2013 · Kia Optima 2014 · Kia Optima 2015 · Kia Optima 2016 · Kia Optima 2017 · Kia Optima 2018 · Kia Optima 2019 · Kia Optima 2020 · Kia Optima in Norway · Kia Optima in Finland · Kia Optima in the Netherlands · Kia Optima by postcode area · Kia Optima body, chassis and structure failures · Kia Optima brakes failures · Kia Optima vehicle identification failures · Kia Optima lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Kia Optima noise, emissions and leaks failures · Kia Optima road wheels failures · Kia Optima seat belts and airbags failures · Kia Optima suspension failures · Kia Optima tyres failures · Kia Optima visibility failures