Kia Sportage MOT Check

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

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74.8%

Avg Pass Rate

-11.4%

vs Kia Avg

Year Ranges

Average

Reliability

Kia Sportage — MOT Reliability Overview

The Kia Sportage has an average MOT pass rate of 74.8%, which is 11.4 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 Sportage on the road.

The most common reasons a Kia Sportage fails its MOT are a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 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 suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn. If you are preparing your Sportage 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 Sportage is around 40,000 miles at 5 years. When evaluating a used Sportage, 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 Sportage, 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 Sportage performs at MOT across different model years.

2022

Based on 1,016 vehicles

92.7%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.7%

Retest Rate

7.2%

Mileage at 3yr

39k mi

2021

Based on 29,756 vehicles

90.7%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.8%

Retest Rate

9.9%

Mileage at 3yr

39k mi

2020

Based on 31,546 vehicles

89.8%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

3.2%

Retest Rate

11.0%

Mileage at 3yr

36k mi

Mileage at 5yr

57k mi

2019

Based on 83,590 vehicles

88.5%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

4.3%

Retest Rate

12.6%

Mileage at 3yr

40k mi

Mileage at 5yr

62k mi

2018

Based on 86,639 vehicles

87.2%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.3%

Retest Rate

13.5%

Mileage at 5yr

65k mi

2017

Based on 92,920 vehicles

85.2%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.7%

Retest Rate

15.6%

Mileage at 5yr

72k mi

2016

Based on 92,767 vehicles

82.9%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.9%

Retest Rate

18.2%

2015

Based on 51,373 vehicles

79.1%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

6.3%

Retest Rate

21.6%

Mileage at 10yr

131k mi

2014

Based on 47,061 vehicles

77.8%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

6.7%

Retest Rate

23.3%

Mileage at 10yr

132k mi

2013

Based on 44,475 vehicles

69.2%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.2%

Retest Rate

32.3%

Mileage at 10yr

134k mi

2012

Based on 31,542 vehicles

67.3%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.6%

Retest Rate

32.7%

Mileage at 10yr

143k mi

2011

Based on 19,049 vehicles

66.4%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.7%

Retest Rate

35.6%

2010

Based on 10,361 vehicles

65.5%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.4%

Retest Rate

33.3%

2009

Based on 5,977 vehicles

61.6%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.5%

Retest Rate

34.1%

2008

Based on 3,966 vehicles

61.8%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.5%

Retest Rate

31.0%

2007

Based on 3,625 vehicles

56.0%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.6%

Retest Rate

33.5%

2006

Based on 3,134 vehicles

56.8%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.3%

Retest Rate

30.4%

2005

Based on 3,303 vehicles

58.0%Below Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.5%

Retest Rate

29.8%

2004

Based on 52,000 vehicles

0.8%Poor

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

0.1%

Mileage at 3yr

24k mi

Mileage at 5yr

40k mi

Mileage at 10yr

78k mi

2003

Based on 80 vehicles

72.5%Average

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

5.1%

Retest Rate

28.2%

2002

Based on 119 vehicles

81.5%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 10yr

153k mi

2001

Based on 200 vehicles

75.0%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 10yr

141k mi

2000

Based on 341 vehicles

82.4%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

15.0%

Mileage at 10yr

131k mi

1999

Based on 406 vehicles

86.2%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 10yr

141k mi

1998

Based on 310 vehicles

86.5%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 10yr

133k mi

1997

Based on 480 vehicles

85.0%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

1996

Based on 521 vehicles

86.4%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

1995

Based on 262 vehicles

82.8%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

1994

Based on 96 vehicles

85.4%Excellent

Kia average: 86.2%

0

Based on 290,096 vehicles

83.7%Good

Kia average: 86.2%

Mileage at 5yr

61k mi

Top MOT Failures — Kia Sportage

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

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

4.2%

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

4.1%

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

2.9%

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

2.4%

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

2.4%

Kia Sportage Common Faults & Repair Costs

Where Failures Occur

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

Front Nearside

2.2%

Front Offside

1.6%

Rear Offside

1.4%

Typical Mileage — Kia Sportage

Average mileage readings recorded at MOT tests for the 2004 model year range. Use these benchmarks to evaluate a used Sportage.

At 3 Years

24,000

miles

At 5 Years

40,000

miles

At 10 Years

78,000

miles

Other Kia Models

Compare MOT reliability across Kia models.

Kia Magentis

60.1% pass rate

Kia X Ceed

100.0% pass rate

Kia Carens

56.6% pass rate

Kia Xceed Edition Isg

90.2% pass rate

Kia Ceed

87.6% pass rate

Kia Sorento

80.3% pass rate

Useful MOT Guides

Common MOT Failures

The most common reasons UK vehicles fail their MOT — and how to prepare.

MOT Checklist

Pre-MOT checklist to improve your chances of passing first time.

Advisory vs Failure

Understanding the difference between MOT advisories and failures.

See detailed fault analysis for Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Kia Sportage MOT and reliability.

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Sportage?

The average MOT pass rate for the Kia Sportage is 74.8% 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 Sportage?

The most common MOT failures on the Kia Sportage are: A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.2%), 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 (4.1%), A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (2.9%). These are the components most likely to cause an MOT failure.

Is the Kia Sportage reliable?

With an average MOT pass rate of 74.8%, the Kia Sportage 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 Sportage?

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 Sportage?

Typical mileage for the Kia Sportage: 39,480 miles at 3 years. Use these benchmarks when evaluating a used Sportage to spot vehicles with unusually high or low mileage.

Check Your Kia Sportage's MOT History

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