Kia Rio common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 99,483 initial MOT tests on the Kia Rio in Great Britain, and 70.3% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Kia Rio at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 99,483
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 70.3%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 29.7%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 8.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 4,377 off the road (SORN): 96,283

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Rio fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
11.2%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
7.9%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Brakes
7.5%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Tyres
6.6%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Visibility
5.9%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Steering
3.9%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
2.4%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Body, chassis and structure
1.9%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.3%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.3%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Suspension armsSuspension4.6%
Brake performanceBrakes3.9%
Steering linkage componentsSteering3.7%
ConditionTyres3.6%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.5%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes3.2%
WashersVisibility3.1%
WipersVisibility2.8%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2022	4,657	91.1%	2.8%
2021	3,656	86.6%	3.6%
2020	3,384	85.4%	4.5%
2019	4,843	84.0%	5.0%
2018	5,725	84.7%	5.1%
2017	8,014	81.3%	6.0%
2016	8,795	76.4%	7.3%
2015	11,314	74.3%	7.7%
2014	10,779	65.8%	9.3%
2013	9,568	61.5%	9.5%
2012	8,564	59.6%	10.3%
2011	6,361	54.8%	10.6%
2010	5,414	55.0%	10.4%
2009	4,159	54.2%	10.8%
2008	1,654	51.5%	12.9%
2007	925	54.4%	11.2%
2006	723	51.2%	12.7%
2005	363	49.3%	10.7%

Mileage

Rio mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	19,300 miles	3,827
3 years	24,400 miles	3,850
4 years	28,900 miles	3,353
5 years	34,400 miles	4,257
6 years	41,700 miles	5,363
7 years	49,000 miles	6,479
8 years	53,400 miles	8,439
9 years	59,300 miles	10,197
10 years	67,400 miles	10,827
11 years	75,000 miles	10,002
12 years	83,200 miles	8,915
13 years	84,800 miles	7,569
14 years	83,500 miles	5,453
15 years	84,400 miles	5,279
16 years	85,700 miles	2,466
17 years	89,500 miles	1,295
18 years	88,100 miles	763
19 years	84,800 miles	625

Checking a particular Rio?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Kia Rio: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Kia Rio?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Kia Rio was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 11.2% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (7.9%) and brakes (7.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Rio?

70.3% of 99,483 initial MOT tests on the Kia Rio in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.7% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Kia Rio is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 8.0% of initial tests on the Kia Rio found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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