MOT performance
Kia Sportage petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 212,666 MOT tests on petrol Kia Sportages in 2023–2024 (on average 5.4 years old at test, median 38,773 miles), 80.1% passed first time, against 73.8% of 295,280 diesel Kia Sportage tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Kia Sportages failed about as often as comparable cars — 1.04× against 1.03× for the Kia Sportage as a whole.
212,666 MOT tests on 113,402 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 80.1% | ±0.2 pts (95%), n = 212,666 |
| All Kia Sportages | 76.8% | n = 531,226 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.04× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Kia Sportage overall 1.03× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 7.2% | n = 212,666 |
| Average age at test | 5.4 years | n = 212,666 |
| Registration years covered | 1995–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Petrol against the other Kia Sportage fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 2.5 years younger on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 295,280 | 7.9 yrs | 73.8% | +1% | 9.8% |
| Petrol | 212,666 | 5.4 yrs | 80.1% | +4% | 7.2% |
| Hybrid | 13,413 | 2.6 yrs | 85.0% | +39% | 5.1% |
Where petrol Kia Sportages differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: petrol Kia Sportages failed 70% more often than the Kia Sportage overall, relative to comparable cars (1.25× vs 0.73×).
- Body, chassis and structure: petrol Kia Sportages failed 42% more often than the Kia Sportage overall, relative to comparable cars (0.64× vs 0.45×).
- Seat belts and airbags: petrol Kia Sportages failed 26% more often than the Kia Sportage overall, relative to comparable cars (0.71× vs 0.56×).
- Suspension: petrol Kia Sportages failed 21% less often than the Kia Sportage overall, relative to comparable cars (0.65× vs 0.82×).
| Area | Petrol (vs similar) | All Kia Sportages (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 6.0% (+59%) | 8.0% (+65%) |
| Tyres | 5.4% (-4%) | 6.2% (Same) |
| Driver's view of the road | 5.1% (+38%) | 4.7% (+24%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.2% (-25%) | 5.3% (-26%) |
| Suspension | 2.4% (-35%) | 4.6% (-18%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.8% (+25%) | 1.4% (-27%) |
| Steering | 1.1% (+33%) | 1.9% (+62%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 0.7% (-36%) | 0.8% (-55%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.3% (-29%) | 0.3% (-44%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.2% (-13%) | 0.2% (-16%) |
| Road wheels | 0.2% (-21%) | 0.2% (-23%) |
Most common petrol Kia Sportage failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Driver's view of the road | 3.51% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.06% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 2.97% |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 1.24% |
| Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.01% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | petrol pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) | hybrid pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 84.7% (70,545) | 84.3% (26,802) | 84.7% (6,547) |
| 5-6 | 82.7% (61,091) | 81.7% (72,943) | — |
| 7-8 | 76.3% (29,898) | 77.0% (82,732) | — |
| 9-10 | 67.4% (11,465) | 68.1% (59,976) | — |
| 11-12 | 62.4% (6,648) | 60.9% (34,454) | — |
| 13-15 | 54.3% (4,932) | 57.0% (12,687) | — |
| 16+ | 48.5% (2,963) | 51.0% (5,204) | — |
Kia Sportage by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2005 Kia Sportage · 50.2%
- 2006 Kia Sportage · 49.3%
- 2007 Kia Sportage · 50.1%
- 2008 Kia Sportage · 54.5%
- 2009 Kia Sportage · 53.3%
- 2010 Kia Sportage · 58.5%
- 2011 Kia Sportage · 61.4%
- 2012 Kia Sportage · 61.6%
- 2013 Kia Sportage · 64.1%
- 2014 Kia Sportage · 72.5%
- 2015 Kia Sportage · 74.0%
- 2016 Kia Sportage · 78.7%
- 2017 Kia Sportage · 81.3%
- 2018 Kia Sportage · 83.3%
- 2019 Kia Sportage · 84.2%
- 2020 Kia Sportage · 84.6%
- 2021 Kia Sportage · 84.5%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific petrol Kia Sportage
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.