Kia Sportage common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 301,420 initial MOT tests on the Kia Sportage in Great Britain, and 77.1% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

Looking at a particular Sportage? Check its own record.

Free MOT history, mileage and tax. No sign-up.

Kia Sportage at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 301,420
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 77.1%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 22.9%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.7%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 8,082 off the road (SORN): 441,871

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

Failure areas

Where the Sportage 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.

1Brakes
7.8%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
2Tyres
5.8%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
5.2%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
4Suspension
5.0%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
5Visibility
4.2%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Steering
2.1%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
1.9%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Body, chassis and structure
0.8%
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
0.3%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.3%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

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.

Mechanical brake componentsBrakes3.7%
Brake performanceBrakes3.7%
Tread depthTyres3.0%
Suspension armsSuspension2.6%
ConditionTyres2.4%
WipersVisibility2.2%
Steering linkage componentsSteering2.0%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.0%

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
2023	1,703	91.8%	1.2%
2022	29,330	88.7%	2.6%
2021	26,902	85.4%	4.5%
2020	18,906	83.7%	5.8%
2019	32,947	83.4%	7.2%
2018	33,663	82.2%	7.8%
2017	36,402	78.9%	8.3%
2016	36,577	75.4%	8.4%
2015	20,621	70.9%	9.0%
2014	18,651	68.5%	9.6%
2013	17,246	61.1%	11.2%
2012	12,071	59.7%	12.1%
2011	7,085	59.1%	12.3%
2010	3,624	56.7%	11.8%
2009	1,821	55.3%	10.7%
2008	1,104	55.0%	12.7%
2007	913	50.7%	13.9%
2006	791	50.7%	14.5%
2005	826	49.8%	15.0%

Mileage

Sportage 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
1 year	38,600 miles	384
2 years	24,200 miles	23,563
3 years	29,900 miles	25,666
4 years	35,900 miles	20,679
5 years	42,500 miles	27,733
6 years	51,000 miles	32,937
7 years	60,400 miles	32,454
8 years	69,000 miles	36,623
9 years	75,600 miles	27,989
10 years	83,300 miles	19,199
11 years	91,200 miles	17,824
12 years	99,000 miles	14,664
13 years	106,500 miles	9,431
14 years	109,400 miles	5,071
15 years	102,700 miles	2,692
16 years	105,900 miles	1,229
17 years	107,800 miles	1,108
18 years	110,500 miles	802
19 years	112,800 miles	837
20 years	111,100 miles	365

Checking a particular Sportage?

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 Sportage: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Kia Sportage was brakes: 7.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.4% for all cars and vans. Next came tyres (5.8%) and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (5.2%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Sportage?

77.1% of 301,420 initial MOT tests on the Kia Sportage in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.7% 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 Sportage 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. 7.7% of initial tests on the Kia Sportage 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.

More Kia models

All makes and models