Car statistics by year
2012 Kia Optima
Kia Optima cars first registered in 2012: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2012, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 61.5% All 2012 cars 63.6%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 102,000 miles; all 2012 cars 90,800
- Left at the end of 2025 640 60.7% of the 1,055 at the end of 2014
- Tests finding a dangerous defect 10.9% All 2012 cars 9.2%
- Tests with an advisory 69.7% All 2012 cars 62.0%
- MOT tests in 2025 577 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 2012 Kia Optimas do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 13 years old, 61.5% of 2012 Kia Optima MOT tests were passed first time, against 63.6% for all cars first registered in 2012. 2012 Kia Optimas did worse than average for their age, by 2.1 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 58.0% of the time (all 2012 cars 64.5%).
MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Kia Optima vs all cars
Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Kia Optima bar with the all-cars bar beside it.
| First registered | Kia Optima | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| ’12 | 61.5% | 63.6% |
| ’14 | 67.5% | 69.1% |
| ’15 | 72.6% | 72.6% |
| ’16 | 80.5% | 75.6% |
| ’17 | 80.7% | 79.1% |
| ’18 | 82.5% | 81.8% |
| ’19 | 80.6% | 84.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failures on the 2012 Kia Optima
Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play was the most common single reason a 2012 Kia Optima failed, on 18.9% of about 200 failed tests. By area of the car, brakes failed most often (48.2% of failed tests; all 2012 cars 21.7%). 10.9% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.2% for all cars first registered in 2012. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 18.9% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 14.4% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 12.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 9.9% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 7.2% |
| Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side Brakes | 7.2% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.3% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 5.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Failure categories: Kia Optima vs all 2012 cars
The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 48.2% |
| Suspension | 38.3% |
| Steering | 27.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 26.1% |
| Tyres | 17.1% |
| Visibility | 9.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT advisories on the 2012 Kia Optima
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 69.7% of 2012 Kia Optima tests had at least one (all 2012 cars 62.0%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 22.4% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 12.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 10.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 8.1% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 7.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.9% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 6.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 2012 Kia Optima?
Half of the 2012 Kia Optimas tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 102,000 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 81,500 and a quarter more than 122,500. For all cars first registered in 2012, the middle figure was 90,800 miles, so 2012 Kia Optimas have been driven 12.3% further than average.
Mileage at the 2025 MOT
Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.
| 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Kia Optima | 61,700 | 81,500 | 102,000 | 122,500 | 144,800 | 532 |
| All 2012 cars | 47,100 | 66,700 | 90,800 | 117,400 | 145,000 | 1,483,042 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 2012 Kia Optimas are left?
At the end of 2014, 1,055 2012 Kia Optimas were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 640 were: 552 licensed and 88 declared off the road (SORN). That is 60.7% still on the record, against 83.1% for all cars first registered in 2012.
Share still on the record since 2014
Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.
| Year end | 2012 Kia Optima | All 2012 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2015 | 97.4% | 97.0% |
| 2016 | 92.3% | 98.2% |
| 2017 | 86.3% | 97.4% |
| 2018 | 83.5% | 96.3% |
| 2019 | 79.1% | 95.2% |
| 2020 | 77.6% | 93.9% |
| 2021 | 77.5% | 93.0% |
| 2022 | 74.3% | 91.4% |
| 2023 | 70.0% | 89.2% |
| 2024 | 66.1% | 86.5% |
| 2025 | 60.7% | 83.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 2012
1 of the Kia Optima’s 6 recalls in DVSA’s records covers cars built during 2012.
The 2012 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2012 may have been built in 2011, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.
| Launched | Concern | Built | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec 2024 | Kia HECU Fuse Replacement | 9 Feb 2010 to 23 Jul 2015 | 3,069 |
Every Kia Optima recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls
Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Other years of the Kia Optima
7 years of the Kia Optima, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2016 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (80.5% passed first time) and the 2019 cars worst (80.6%).
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | – | 640 | 61.5% |
| 2014 | 801 | 612 | 67.5% |
| 2015 | 673 | 610 | 72.6% |
| 2016 | 1,281 | 1,230 | 80.5% |
| 2017 | 3,018 | 3,205 | 80.7% |
| 2018 | 2,421 | 2,597 | 82.5% |
| 2019 | 1,613 | 1,626 | 80.6% |
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results and mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 577 MOT tests of 2012 Kia Optima cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 640 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Kia Optima cars first registered in 2012; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2012.
- Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
- Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
- Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
- Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
- DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.