Kia Optima
From 18,491 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Optimas fare better: 2020 models pass at 85.8% vs 71.6% for 2012.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements and a tyre seriously damaged. The top issue, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, caused 479 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 479 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 418 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 298 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 242 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 212 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 177 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 158 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 155 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 124 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 117 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 65.8% of Optima failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 0% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £99.
Fuel type matters
Hybrid versions pass at 88.5% while Diesel versions pass at 83.2%, a 5 percentage point gap.
Kia Optima on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 201 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 201. At this rate, roughly 52 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 10,064 | 329 | +0 | -59 | -59 |
| 2025 Q2 | 10,138 | 314 | +0 | -51 | -51 |
| 2025 Q1 | 10,222 | 281 | +0 | -74 | -74 |
| 2024 Q4 | 10,333 | 244 | +0 | -17 | -17 |
| 2024 Q3 | 10,377 | 217 | +0 | -54 | -54 |
| 2024 Q2 | 10,447 | 201 | +1 | -7 | -6 |
| 2024 Q1 | 10,456 | 198 | +0 | -59 | -59 |
| 2023 Q4 | 10,524 | 189 | +0 | -51 | -51 |
16 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optima 2 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 2,352 | 24% |
| Optima 3 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 2,094 | 21% |
| Optima 3 Crdi Isg S-A | Diesel | 1,537 | 15% |
| Optima Gt-Line S Isg Crdi S-A | Diesel | 1,327 | 13% |
| Optima Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 647 | 6% |
| Optima 3 Crdi Auto | Diesel | 374 | 4% |
| Optima 4 Isg Crdi S-A | Diesel | 308 | 3% |
| Optima 3 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 253 | 3% |
| Optima 2 Ecodynamics Crdi | Diesel | 237 | 2% |
| Optima 2 Luxe Crdi | Diesel | 196 | 2% |
| Optima 2 Tech Crdi | Diesel | 161 | 2% |
| Optima 2 Crdi Auto | Diesel | 135 | 1% |
| Optima 3 Crdi | Diesel | 121 | 1% |
| Optima 2 Luxe Crdi Auto | Diesel | 97 | <1% |
| Optima 1 Crdi | Diesel | 73 | <1% |
| Optima Gt Auto | Petrol | 64 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.8% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2019 | 87% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| 2018 | 86.6% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2017 | 85.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
5 earlier years
| 2016 | 84.8% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 82.2% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 76.3% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2013 | 76.9% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2012 | 71.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
Typical mileage
Half of all Optimas tested had between 48,265 and 103,229 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 69,123 median miles, the Optima has 0.024 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Kia models
| Kia Sportage | 81% |
| Kia Picanto | 76.9% |
| Kia Ceed | 73.9% |
| Kia Rio | 74.7% |
| Kia Venga | 77.2% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Optima MOT pass rate?
The Kia Optima has a 83.6% MOT pass rate based on 18,491 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Optima?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Optima is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which caused 479 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Kia Optimas are on UK roads?
There are 10,064 Kia Optimas currently licensed on UK roads, with 329 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Optima at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Optima is 69,123 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 48,265 and 103,229 miles.
Buying a used Optima?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 83.6% pass rate and an average repair bill of £99 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.