Car statistics by year

2016 Kia Optima

Kia Optima cars first registered in 2016: 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 2016, so like is set against like.

A year of the Kia Optima. “2016” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,233 MOT tests of 2016 Kia Optima cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 80.5% All 2016 cars 75.6%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 83,000 miles; all 2016 cars 65,300
  • Left at the end of 2025 1,230 96.0% of the 1,281 at the end of 2016
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 8.4% All 2016 cars 6.7%
  • Tests with an advisory 48.3% All 2016 cars 48.6%
  • MOT tests in 2025 1,233 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2016 Kia Optimas do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 9 years old, 80.5% of 2016 Kia Optima MOT tests were passed first time, against 75.6% for all cars first registered in 2016. 2016 Kia Optimas did better than average for their age, by 4.9 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 81.1% of the time (all 2016 cars 77.5%).

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.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Kia Optima compared with all cars
First registered Kia OptimaAll 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 2016 Kia Optima

Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick was the most common single reason a 2016 Kia Optima failed, on 15.8% of about 200 failed tests. By area of the car, brakes failed most often (35.0% of failed tests; all 2016 cars 19.3%). 8.4% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 6.7% for all cars first registered in 2016. 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.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2016 Kia Optima tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 15.8%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 14.2%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 8.3%
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault Brakes 6.3%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 5.8%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 5.0%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 4.6%
Washers: not working Visibility 4.6%
Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension 4.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Kia Optima vs all 2016 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2016 Kia Optima MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2016 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Brakes 35.0%
Tyres 31.7%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 16.3%
Suspension 13.3%
Visibility 13.3%
Noise, emissions and leaks 7.5%
Body, chassis, structure 4.2%
Steering 3.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2016 Kia Optima

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 48.3% of 2016 Kia Optima tests had at least one (all 2016 cars 48.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2016 Kia Optima tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 20.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 11.3%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 11.1%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 6.2%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 4.4%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 3.6%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 3.0%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 2.8%
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes 2.8%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 2.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2016 Kia Optima?

Half of the 2016 Kia Optimas tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 83,000 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 63,400 and a quarter more than 105,600. For all cars first registered in 2016, the middle figure was 65,300 miles, so 2016 Kia Optimas have been driven 27.1% 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%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2016 Kia Optima and all 2016 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2016 Kia Optima 47,400 63,400 83,000 105,600 132,200 1,141
All 2016 cars 32,200 47,000 65,300 86,000 108,800 2,323,151
miles

Half of the 2016 Kia Optimas tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 83,000 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2016 Kia Optimas are left?

At the end of 2016, 1,281 2016 Kia Optimas were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 1,230 were: 1,201 licensed and 29 declared off the road (SORN). That is 96.0% still on the record, against 94.1% for all cars first registered in 2016.

Share still on the record since 2016

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2016. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2016 Kia Optimas on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2016, compared with all 2016 cars
Year end 2016 Kia OptimaAll 2016 cars
2016 100.0%100.0%
2017 93.8%100.0%
2018 105.2%99.0%
2019 103.9%96.5%
2020 100.5%96.5%
2021 100.3%96.6%
2022 100.1%96.4%
2023 98.8%95.6%
2024 98.3%95.0%
2025 96.0%94.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2016

2 of the Kia Optima’s 6 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2016.

The 2016 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2016 may have been built in 2015, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Kia Optima recalls whose build dates include 2016
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
13 Nov 2023 Certain engines may have been produced with conditions that can cause premature wear of the connecting rod bearings 4 Dec 2015 to 13 Sept 2018 610
13 Jun 2018 High voltage battery system may malfunction and cause a sudden loss of power 16 Oct 2015 to 11 Sept 2017 398

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%).

Kia Optimas by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2012 640 61.5% 63.6%
2014 801 612 67.5% 69.1%
2015 673 610 72.6% 72.6%
2016 1,281 1,230 80.5% 75.6%
2017 3,018 3,205 80.7% 79.1%
2018 2,421 2,597 82.5% 81.8%
2019 1,613 1,626 80.6% 84.4%

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

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 1,233 MOT tests of 2016 Kia Optima cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 1,230 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 2016; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2016.
  • 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.