Kia Sportage
From 415,042 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Sportages fare better: 2022 models pass at 90.4% vs 62.7% for 2005.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, caused 12,271 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.
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 12,271 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 10,557 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 10,142 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 5,175 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 4,769 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 4,503 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 3,877 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 3,818 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 2,992 |
| parking brake inoperative on one side | 2,851 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 60.3% of Sportage failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 4.7% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £119.
Fuel type matters
Hybrid versions pass at 87.1% while Diesel versions pass at 79.3%, a 8 percentage point gap.
Kia Sportage on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 46,636 newly registered in the past year with 6,949 leaving, a net gain of 39,687. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 396,488 | 6,576 | +15,252 | -2,623 | +12,629 |
| 2025 Q2 | 384,045 | 6,390 | +9,863 | -492 | +9,371 |
| 2025 Q1 | 374,868 | 6,196 | +12,457 | -1,606 | +10,851 |
| 2024 Q4 | 364,321 | 5,892 | +9,064 | -2,228 | +6,836 |
| 2024 Q3 | 358,114 | 5,263 | +12,846 | -1,966 | +10,880 |
| 2024 Q2 | 347,362 | 5,135 | +10,142 | -711 | +9,431 |
| 2024 Q1 | 337,945 | 5,121 | +13,159 | -1,259 | +11,900 |
| 2023 Q4 | 326,325 | 4,841 | +7,755 | -783 | +6,972 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sportage 2 Isg | Petrol | 53,205 | 25% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Isg | Petrol | 15,910 | 7% |
| Sportage 2 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 14,641 | 7% |
| Sportage 3 Isg Crdi | Diesel | 12,511 | 6% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Hev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 11,206 | 5% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Isg Hev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 9,846 | 5% |
| Sportage Gt-Line S Isg Hev A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 9,329 | 4% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Phev 4X4 Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 9,098 | 4% |
| Sportage 1 | Diesel | 8,156 | 4% |
| Sportage 1 Crdi Isg | Diesel | 7,867 | 4% |
| Sportage 2 Crdi | Diesel | 7,552 | 3% |
| Sportage Gt-Line S Phev 4X4 A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 6,733 | 3% |
| Sportage Gt-Line S Hev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 6,699 | 3% |
| Sportage 3 Isg | Petrol | 6,677 | 3% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Mhev | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 6,561 | 3% |
| Sportage 2 Mhev | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 6,482 | 3% |
| Sportage Gt-Line Isg 4X4 S-A | Petrol | 6,466 | 3% |
| Sportage 2 Isg Crdi | Diesel | 6,247 | 3% |
| Sportage Gt-Line | Petrol | 5,937 | 3% |
| Sportage 1 Isg | Petrol | 5,589 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 90.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2021 | 87% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2020 | 87% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 86.1% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
14 earlier years
| 2018 | 86% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2017 | 84.1% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 82.1% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 78.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2014 | 77.7% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2013 | 73.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2012 | 72.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2011 | 71.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2010 | 68.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2009 | 63.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2008 | 64.5% | 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 |
| 2007 | 62.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 2006 | 61.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 2005 | 62.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
Typical mileage
Half of all Sportages tested had between 33,758 and 53,393 miles on the clock.
At 41,696 median miles, the Sportage has 0.046 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Kia models
| Kia Picanto | 76.9% |
| Kia Ceed | 73.9% |
| Kia Rio | 74.7% |
| Kia Venga | 77.2% |
| Kia Sorento | 76.8% |
Common questions
What is the Kia Sportage MOT pass rate?
The Kia Sportage has a 81% MOT pass rate based on 415,042 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Kia Sportage?
The most common MOT failure on the Kia Sportage is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which caused 12,271 failures. Other common issues include a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm.
How many Kia Sportages are on UK roads?
There are 396,488 Kia Sportages currently licensed on UK roads, with 6,576 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Kia Sportage at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Kia Sportage is 41,696 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 33,758 and 53,393 miles.
Buying a used Sportage?
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 81% pass rate and an average repair bill of £119 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.