Does the Kia Sportage fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?
The Kia Sportage records 6.76 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 8.83 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.07, 95% interval −2.12 to −2.02). It ranks 405 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Kia Sportage by registration
What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Sportage is “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”, recorded 23,242 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 23,242 | 1.82 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 8,585 | 0.67 |
| A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED | 7,399 | 0.58 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 6,272 | 0.49 |
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 4,790 | 0.38 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,275,244 (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 Sportage gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?
18.8% of Kia Sportage MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,276 miles later (9,676 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,676 (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 Sportage 2003 · Kia Sportage 2005 · Kia Sportage 2006 · Kia Sportage 2007 · Kia Sportage 2008 · Kia Sportage 2009 · Kia Sportage 2010 · Kia Sportage 2011 · Kia Sportage 2012 · Kia Sportage 2013 · Kia Sportage 2014 · Kia Sportage 2015 · Kia Sportage 2016 · Kia Sportage 2017 · Kia Sportage 2018 · Kia Sportage 2019 · Kia Sportage 2020 · Kia Sportage in Finland · Kia Sportage in the Netherlands · Kia Sportage in Norway · Kia Sportage by postcode area · Kia Sportage body, chassis and structure failures · Kia Sportage brakes failures · Kia Sportage vehicle identification failures · Kia Sportage noise, emissions and leaks failures · Kia Sportage road wheels failures · Kia Sportage seat belts and airbags failures · Kia Sportage steering failures · Kia Sportage suspension failures · Kia Sportage tyres failures · Kia Sportage visibility failures