Kia Sorento
From 56,556 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Sorentos fare better: 2020 models pass at 88.6% vs 59.7% for 2004.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play and a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 3,252 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 suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 3,252 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,434 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,329 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 1,189 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 985 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 791 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 777 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 758 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 719 |
| 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 | 685 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 71.3% of Sorento failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 5.7% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £151.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Sorento passes its MOT 88.6% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 81.7%, a 6.9 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 74.6%. With an average repair bill of £151 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Sorento that's past its third birthday.
Kia Sorento on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 2,300 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 2,076 newly registered, a net loss of 224.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 39,371 | 4,061 | +500 | -568 | -68 |
| 2025 Q2 | 39,556 | 3,944 | +544 | -582 | -38 |
| 2025 Q1 | 39,542 | 3,996 | +859 | -609 | +250 |
| 2024 Q4 | 39,329 | 3,959 | +173 | -541 | -368 |
| 2024 Q3 | 39,678 | 3,978 | +584 | -616 | -32 |
| 2024 Q2 | 39,756 | 3,932 | +514 | -511 | +3 |
| 2024 Q1 | 39,764 | 3,921 | +728 | -690 | +38 |
| 2023 Q4 | 39,821 | 3,826 | +434 | -486 | -52 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorento Kx-2 Crdi Isg 4X4 | Diesel | 3,015 | 10% |
| Sorento Kx-3 Crdi Isg 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 2,671 | 9% |
| Sorento Kx-4 Crdi Isg 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 2,267 | 8% |
| Sorento Kx-2 Crdi 4X4 | Diesel | 2,094 | 7% |
| Sorento Kx-2 Crdi Isg 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 1,945 | 7% |
| Sorento 4 Hev Awd Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,920 | 6% |
| Sorento 3 Crdi Awd S-A | Diesel | 1,712 | 6% |
| Sorento Kx-3 Crdi Isg 4X4 | Diesel | 1,477 | 5% |
| Sorento Kx-2 Crdi 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 1,387 | 5% |
| Sorento Gtline S Crdi Isg 4X4A | Diesel | 1,357 | 5% |
| Sorento Edition Hev Awd A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,342 | 4% |
| Sorento 3 Hev Awd Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,313 | 4% |
| Sorento Kx-3 Sat Nav Crdi 4X4A | Diesel | 1,284 | 4% |
| Sorento Gt-Line Crdi Isg 4X4 A | Diesel | 1,050 | 4% |
| Sorento Kx-2 Sat Nav Crdi 4X4 | Diesel | 959 | 3% |
| Sorento Kx-3 Crdi 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 907 | 3% |
| Sorento 4 Phev Awd Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 868 | 3% |
| Sorento 2 Hev Awd Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 809 | 3% |
| Sorento Kx-1 Crdi 4X4 | Diesel | 765 | 3% |
| Sorento 3 Phev Awd Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 710 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 88.6% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 87.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 86.6% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 86.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
14 earlier years
| 2016 | 81.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 81% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2014 | 76.2% | a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 74.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2012 | 71.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2011 | 69.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2010 | 69.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2009 | 65.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2008 | 64.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2007 | 66.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2006 | 63.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 2005 | 63.1% | 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 |
| 2004 | 59.7% | 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, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 2003 | 53.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
Typical mileage
Half of all Sorentos tested had between 82,189 and 139,532 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 104,315 median miles, the Sorento has 0.022 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 Sorento MOT pass rate?
The Kia Sorento has a 76.8% MOT pass rate based on 56,556 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Sorento?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Sorento is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 3,252 failures. Other common issues include a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play.
How many Kia Sorentos are on UK roads?
There are 39,371 Kia Sorentos currently licensed on UK roads, with 4,061 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Sorento at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Sorento is 104,315 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 82,189 and 139,532 miles.
Buying a used Sorento?
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 76.8% pass rate and an average repair bill of £151 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.