Does the Kia Rio fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Kia Rio records 14.09 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 12.39 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.70, 95% interval +1.60 to +1.80). It ranks 197 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Kia Rio by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Rio is “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 23,524 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 23,524 | 4.11 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 22,839 | 3.99 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 20,755 | 3.63 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 2,464 | 0.43 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 1,808 | 0.32 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 572,396 (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 Rio gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
22.5% of Kia Rio MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,257 miles later (46,902 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 46,902 (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
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