MOT failures by make
Kia MOT failures for “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play”
Kia cars failed their MOT on “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” in 1.97% of 1,822,129 tests in 2023–2024 (35,925 tests) — 2.5 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.78% of tests. It is the number 6 most common failure item on Kias.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Kia tests failing on it
- 1.97%
- 35,925 of 1,822,129 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.78%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 2.53×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #6 for Kia
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Kias fail 1.09× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 2.31× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Kia pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the steering part of the test. Nationally it appears on 1.07% of MOT tests.
Kia models and “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play”
The Kia Venga is most affected (6.11× comparable cars); the Kia Niro least (0.18×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Venga | 95,042 | 5.85% | 6.11× |
| Kia Soul | 48,662 | 6.64% | 5.05× |
| Kia Ceed | 276,701 | 3.22% | 3.05× |
| Kia Rio | 197,177 | 3.10% | 3.03× |
| Kia Sorento | 72,810 | 3.46% | 2.59× |
| Kia Stonic | 47,147 | 0.19% | 2.19× |
| Kia Optima | 22,842 | 1.10% | 1.90× |
| Kia Sportage | 531,226 | 1.21% | 1.65× |
| Kia Sedona | 11,371 | 2.72% | 1.13× |
| Kia Carens | 30,774 | 1.24% | 1.01× |
| Kia Picanto | 364,285 | 0.56% | 0.66× |
| Kia Niro | 115,269 | 0.01% | 0.18× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 3-4 years old: 0.31% of Kia tests against 0.07% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Kia tests | Kia | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 335,127 | 0.31% | 0.07% |
| 5-6 | 340,699 | 0.20% | 0.20% |
| 7-8 | 309,955 | 0.92% | 0.61% |
| 9-10 | 260,006 | 3.93% | 1.33% |
| 11-12 | 200,062 | 4.69% | 1.78% |
| 13-15 | 178,205 | 5.06% | 1.76% |
| 16+ | 66,855 | 3.87% | 1.79% |
Other Kia MOT faults that stand out
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements · 2.84× comparable cars
- Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side · 3.30× comparable cars
- Service brake performance: excessively binding · 1.85× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Kia tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Kia failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.