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Kia RIO MOT Check

MOT pass rates, common failures, and reliability data for the Kia RIO. Check any RIO by registration number below.

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74.0%

Avg Pass Rate

-12.2%

vs Kia Avg

24

Year Ranges

Average

Reliability

Kia RIO — MOT Reliability Overview

The Kia RIO has an average MOT pass rate of 74.0%, which is 12.2 percentage points below the Kia brand average of 86.2%. This is a reasonable result that reflects typical UK reliability standards. Regular servicing and addressing advisories promptly will help keep your RIO on the road.

The most common reasons a Kia RIO fails its MOT are a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. If you are preparing your RIO for its MOT, checking these areas first could save you a retest fee. Our detailed fault analysis includes estimated repair costs for each failure type.

Typical mileage for the RIO is around 32,000 miles at 5 years. When evaluating a used RIO, compare the odometer reading against these benchmarks. Significantly lower mileage than expected could indicate a clocked vehicle — run a free mileage check to verify.

Before buying a used Kia RIO, we recommend checking the full MOT history, write-off status, outstanding finance, and stolen vehicle status. These checks can be done for free using the registration number.

MOT Pass Rate by Year

How the Kia RIO performs at MOT across different model years.

2022

Based on 222 vehicles

97.3%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

0.9%

Retest Rate

2.6%

Mileage at 3yr

41k mi

2021

Based on 3,197 vehicles

94.5%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

1.9%

Retest Rate

5.7%

Mileage at 3yr

34k mi

2020

Based on 7,824 vehicles

92.0%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

2.8%

Retest Rate

9.6%

Mileage at 3yr

31k mi

Mileage at 5yr

48k mi

2019

Based on 11,884 vehicles

90.0%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

3.3%

Retest Rate

11.1%

Mileage at 3yr

33k mi

Mileage at 5yr

51k mi

2018

Based on 14,039 vehicles

89.1%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

3.7%

Retest Rate

11.3%

Mileage at 5yr

53k mi

2017

Based on 19,672 vehicles

87.0%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

4.1%

Retest Rate

13.6%

Mileage at 5yr

60k mi

2016

Based on 20,967 vehicles

83.6%Good
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

5.8%

Retest Rate

17.2%

2015

Based on 26,994 vehicles

81.5%Good
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

6.1%

Retest Rate

18.9%

Mileage at 10yr

107k mi

2014

Based on 26,353 vehicles

73.9%Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

6.7%

Retest Rate

26.2%

Mileage at 10yr

110k mi

2013

Based on 23,789 vehicles

69.0%Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.6%

Retest Rate

29.9%

Mileage at 10yr

113k mi

2012

Based on 21,698 vehicles

67.1%Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.7%

Retest Rate

31.4%

Mileage at 10yr

126k mi

2011

Based on 16,356 vehicles

62.9%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

8.5%

Retest Rate

35.0%

2010

Based on 14,702 vehicles

63.0%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.9%

Retest Rate

34.5%

2009

Based on 11,786 vehicles

63.3%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.9%

Retest Rate

32.7%

2008

Based on 5,117 vehicles

58.7%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

9.6%

Retest Rate

35.0%

2007

Based on 3,093 vehicles

57.9%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

10.4%

Retest Rate

38.5%

2006

Based on 2,450 vehicles

59.0%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

9.7%

Retest Rate

34.4%

2005

Based on 28,000 vehicles

0.8%Poor
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

0.1%

Mileage at 3yr

18k mi

Mileage at 5yr

32k mi

Mileage at 10yr

62k mi

2004

Based on 818 vehicles

54.5%Below Average
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.8%

Retest Rate

39.2%

2003

Based on 2,705 vehicles

89.4%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

7.9%

Retest Rate

31.6%

Mileage at 5yr

65k mi

Mileage at 10yr

111k mi

2002

Based on 1,438 vehicles

87.4%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

8.9%

Retest Rate

36.3%

Mileage at 10yr

119k mi

2001

Based on 675 vehicles

86.7%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Dangerous Defects

10.0%

Retest Rate

40.0%

Mileage at 10yr

135k mi

2000

Based on 174 vehicles

88.5%Excellent
Kia average: 86.2%
Mileage at 10yr

115k mi

0

Based on 121,121 vehicles

79.7%Good
Kia average: 86.2%
Mileage at 5yr

63k mi

Top MOT Failures — Kia RIO

The most common reasons a Kia RIO fails its MOT, aggregated across all year ranges.

1

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

5.7%
2

The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

5.4%
3

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

4.7%
4

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

3.6%
5

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

3.5%

Where Failures Occur

The areas of the vehicle most commonly flagged during MOT inspections.

Front Nearside

1.8%

Rear Nearside

0.9%

Front

0.5%

Typical Mileage — Kia RIO

Average mileage readings recorded at MOT tests for the 2005 model year range. Use these benchmarks to evaluate a used RIO.

At 3 Years

18,000

miles

At 5 Years

32,000

miles

At 10 Years

62,000

miles

Kia RIO — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Kia RIO MOT and reliability.

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia RIO?
The average MOT pass rate for the Kia RIO is 74.0% compared to the Kia average of 86.2%. Pass rates vary by year — check the year-by-year breakdown on this page for details.
What are the most common MOT failures on a Kia RIO?
The most common MOT failures on the Kia RIO are: A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play (5.7%), The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired (5.4%), A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (4.7%). These are the components most likely to cause an MOT failure.
Is the Kia RIO reliable?
With an average MOT pass rate of 74.0%, the Kia RIO is rated as "Average" for reliability. This is around average — regular maintenance is recommended to avoid common failure points.
How do I check the MOT history of a Kia RIO?
Enter the vehicle's registration number in the search box at the top of this page. You will instantly see the complete MOT history including every test result, mileage readings, advisories, and dangerous defects — completely free.
What mileage should I expect on a Kia RIO?
Typical mileage for the Kia RIO: 41,481 miles at 3 years. Use these benchmarks when evaluating a used RIO to spot vehicles with unusually high or low mileage.

Check Your Kia RIO's MOT History

Enter the registration number for the full MOT history — free and instant.

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