2025 MOT results
Kia Rio common problems
The most common reason a Kia Rio fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 11.3% of its 29,536 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a split joint boot at 5.5% of failures against 1.8% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 9.1% of failures against 4.0% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 9.2% of failures against 6.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 99,388 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 29.7% 29,536 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 53.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Rio MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Rio 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 |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.3% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 9.2% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 9.1% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.2% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.9% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 5.5% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 5.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
11.3% of failures 8.4% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
9.2% of failures 6.0% expected 1.5 times as 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.1% of failures 4.0% expected 2.3 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.8% of failures 8.3% 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.
-
Worn brake pads
7.0% of failures 6.5% expected about as expected
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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
6.9% of failures 5.7% expected somewhat more often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Kia Rio, on 37.6% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 13.2% against 7.0% 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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 37.6% |
| Suspension | 26.5% |
| Brakes | 25.4% |
| Tyres | 22.1% |
| Visibility | 19.7% |
| Steering | 13.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
53.6% of Kia Rio tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Rios, 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 | 18.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 5.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 5.5% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.1% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 2.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 2.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Kia Rio gets older
A 2022 Kia Rio failed 8.9% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2009 one failed 45.8%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Kia Rio 8.9% failed, from 4,610 tests
- Cut tyre 21.6%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 16.0%
- Worn brake pads 10.4%
- Headlamp aim set too low 10.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.0%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 6.6%
2009 Kia Rio 45.8% failed, from 4,159 tests
- Worn steering or suspension joint 26.8%
- Sidelight out 18.7%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 10.6%
- Brake light out 8.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 6.9%
- Number plate lamp out 6.2%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Kia Rio problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Rio?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 11.3% of failed Kia Rio tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 37.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Rio fail its MOT?
29.7% of Kia Rio tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 99,388 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 45 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Rio than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 5.5% of its failures against 1.8% for cars of the same age, and “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 9.1% of its failures against 4.0% 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 Kia Rio 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 | 99,388 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.