Does the Kia Optima fail the MOT on vehicle identification more than it should?
The Kia Optima records 0.27 vehicle identification failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.27 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.00, 95% interval −0.04 to +0.05). It ranks 325 of 636 models on vehicle identification (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on vehicle identification · check a Kia Optima by registration
What exactly fails on vehicle identification?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Optima is “Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements”, recorded 98 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements | 98 | 0.17 |
| Number plate inscription missing or illegible | 46 | 0.08 |
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 vehicle identification advisory, how often does it fail next time?
2.4% of Kia Optima MOTs with a vehicle identification advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 12,420 miles later (596 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 596 (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 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 tyres failures · Kia Optima visibility failures