2025 MOT results
Hyundai Kona common problems
The most common reason a Hyundai Kona fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 19.8% of its 8,558 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: headlamp aim set too high at 12.2% of failures against 4.9% expected; worn suspension bushes at 3.5% of failures against 1.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 62,056 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.8% 8,558 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 35.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Hyundai Kona MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Hyundai Kona tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 19.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 15.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 10.1% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 9.1% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 3.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 3.0% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.8% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.5% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
19.8% of failures 13.7% expected somewhat more often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Cut tyre
15.4% of failures 14.8% expected about as expected
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Headlamp aim set too high
12.2% of failures 4.9% expected 2.5 times as often
The dipped beam points higher than it should, which dazzles oncoming drivers.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
10.1% of failures 10.9% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
9.1% of failures 8.2% expected about as expected
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn brake pads
7.0% of failures 8.5% expected somewhat less often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Hyundai Kona, on 40.9% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, on 23.6% against 19.3% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 40.9% |
| Visibility | 25.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 23.6% |
| Brakes | 14.9% |
| Suspension | 5.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
35.5% of Hyundai Kona tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Hyundai Konas, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 13.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 5.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 4.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.5% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.4% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
| Seat belts: webbing slightly damaged or frayed Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 0.9% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Hyundai Kona problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Hyundai Kona?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 19.8% of failed Hyundai Kona tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 40.9% of failed tests.
How often does a Hyundai Kona fail its MOT?
13.8% of Hyundai Kona tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 62,056 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 50 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Hyundai Kona than on other cars?
Yes. “Headlamp aim: too high” appears on 12.2% of its failures against 4.9% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 3.5% of its failures against 1.5% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Hyundai Kona aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 62,056 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.