In 2025, 254,555 Kia Sportage cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 75% passed first time, compared with 76% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Sportage about average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 142 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 86% of Sportages passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 50% (all cars: 58%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 20 years (8 points behind).
Kia Sportage All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Sportage passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 2,782 | 86% | 88% | 29,167 |
| 4 years | 16,866 | 85% | 87% | 32,419 |
| 5 years | 11,822 | 84% | 86% | 38,072 |
| 6 years | 31,665 | 83% | 84% | 47,183 |
| 7 years | 33,659 | 82% | 81% | 56,645 |
| 8 years | 36,393 | 79% | 78% | 66,747 |
| 9 years | 36,571 | 75% | 75% | 74,424 |
| 10 years | 20,617 | 71% | 72% | 80,746 |
| 11 years | 18,647 | 68% | 69% | 88,868 |
| 12 years | 17,245 | 61% | 66% | 96,145 |
| 13 years | 12,066 | 60% | 63% | 104,048 |
| 14 years | 7,082 | 59% | 61% | 110,476 |
| 15 years | 3,623 | 57% | 59% | 105,849 |
| 16 years | 1,821 | 55% | 58% | 104,040 |
| 17 years | 1,104 | 55% | 57% | 106,916 |
| 18 years | 913 | 51% | 57% | 107,994 |
| 19 years | 791 | 51% | 57% | 112,252 |
| 20 years | 826 | 50% | 58% | 111,670 |
What fails most on a Kia Sportage
The area that lets the Sportage down most, relative to other cars, is brakes: 14.1% of tests failed on it, 1.4 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on body and structure and lights and electrics.
Share of Sportage tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 4.5% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 4.5% |
| A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | Brakes | 4.1% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 2.7% |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 2.4% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 2.2% |
What to check when buying a used Sportage
Based on where the Sportage fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Brakes: Look through the wheels for lipped or scored discs, check the handbrake holds on a slope, and feel for pulling or vibration under firm braking. Repair guide
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Sportage
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a SportageFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Kia Sportage?
In 2025, 75% of Kia Sportage cars passed their MOT first time, across 254,555 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 76%.
What do Kia Sportage cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements (4.5% of tests); a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (4.5% of tests); a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm (4.1% of tests).
Other Kia models
Kia Picanto (71%), Kia Ceed (66%), Kia Rio (70%), Kia Niro (87%), Kia Venga (71%), Kia Sorento (68%). All Kia models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.