Does the Kia Optima fail the MOT on tyres more than it should?
The Kia Optima records 8.90 tyres failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.27 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.63, 95% interval +1.39 to +1.88). It ranks 144 of 751 models on tyres (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on tyres · check a Kia Optima by registration
What exactly fails on tyres?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Optima is “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements”, recorded 1,974 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 1,974 | 3.45 |
| A tyre seriously damaged | 1,561 | 2.73 |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | 998 | 1.74 |
| A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | 233 | 0.41 |
| A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber | 155 | 0.27 |
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 tyres advisory, how often does it fail next time?
8.6% of Kia Optima MOTs with a tyres advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 9,491 miles later (10,660 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 10,660 (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 steering failures · Kia Optima suspension failures · Kia Optima visibility failures