Kia Rio MOT failure rate and common faults
98,898 Kia Rio cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 29.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.6% of the time, which makes the Kia Rio 4% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
29.7%
failed first time
98,898 MOT tests in 2025
+4%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.6%
142 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
109.7
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 105.4
What fails on a Kia Rio MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Kia Rio MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 37.8 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 34.0 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 33.3 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 30.4 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 26.9 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 26.1 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 23.6 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 19.3 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 18.7 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 17.5 |
Kia Rio MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,657 | 8.9% | 11.4% | 23,200 |
| 2021 | 3,656 | 13.4% | 12.8% | 28,100 |
| 2020 | 3,384 | 14.6% | 14.1% | 32,700 |
| 2019 | 4,843 | 16.0% | 16.5% | 38,700 |
| 2018 | 5,725 | 15.3% | 19.1% | 46,600 |
| 2017 | 8,014 | 18.7% | 21.8% | 54,600 |
| 2016 | 8,795 | 23.6% | 25.1% | 57,400 |
| 2015 | 11,314 | 25.7% | 28.1% | 65,000 |
| 2014 | 10,779 | 34.2% | 31.4% | 73,800 |
| 2013 | 9,568 | 38.5% | 34.3% | 81,000 |
| 2012 | 8,564 | 40.5% | 36.6% | 88,400 |
| 2011 | 6,361 | 45.1% | 38.8% | 84,800 |
| 2010 | 5,414 | 45.0% | 40.7% | 87,000 |
| 2009 | 4,159 | 45.8% | 41.8% | 84,800 |
| 2008 | 1,654 | 48.5% | 42.9% | 90,900 |
| 2007 | 925 | 45.6% | 42.7% | 90,100 |
| 2006 | 723 | 48.8% | 43.0% | 90,000 |
Advisories to look for in a Kia Rio's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Kia Rio, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge267.9
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing158.2
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened142.3
- Brake pads: wearing thin92.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement75.5
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened64.9
Checking a used Kia Rio before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Kia Rio fails more often than average on brakes, windscreen, wipers and mirrors and steering. Start there.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
Look for chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight, and test the wipers and washers. Windscreen damage in the swept area is an MOT failure.
Steering
With the engine running, rock the wheel gently: there should be almost no free play. Listen for knocks on full lock and look for power steering fluid leaks.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Kia Rio cars tested: Petrol 79%, Diesel 18%. Average age at test 10.3 years, average recorded mileage 65,400.
Kia Rio MOT questions
What is the Kia Rio MOT failure rate?
29.7% of Kia Rio cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 98,898 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.6% of the time, so the Kia Rio was 4% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Kia Rio MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 160 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Position lamp: not working", recorded 37.8 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Kia Rio year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 8.9% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Kia Rio will pass?
No. These are averages across every Kia Rio tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Kia models
- Kia Sportage23.0% failed
- Kia Picanto28.5% failed
- Kia Ceed31.9% failed
- Kia Niro12.6% failed
- Kia Venga29.0% failed
- Kia Sorento28.5% failed
Ranked close to the Kia Rio
- Volvo C30rank 139
- SEAT Aronarank 140
- Mazda 3rank 143
- Vauxhall Astrarank 144
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Kia Rio cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.