2025 MOT results
Kia Sedona common problems
The most common reason a Kia Sedona fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 13.3% of its 1,838 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a weak or uneven footbrake at 8.2% of failures against 3.6% expected; corroded brake pipes at 5.4% of failures against 2.8% expected; a headlamp out at 10.0% of failures against 5.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,107 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.8% 1,838 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 11.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 72.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Sedona MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Sedona 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 | 13.3% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.0% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 9.4% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 8.7% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 8.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.6% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.3% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.5% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 5.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 5.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
13.3% of failures 13.4% expected about as expected
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.
-
Brake light out
11.0% of failures 8.9% expected somewhat more often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Headlamp out
10.0% of failures 5.5% expected 1.8 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.4% of failures 6.0% expected 1.6 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.
-
Broken coil spring
8.7% of failures 9.5% expected about as expected
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Weak or uneven footbrake
8.2% of failures 3.6% expected 2.3 times as often
The footbrake is either weak overall or pulls unevenly across an axle, which the rolling road measures.
A pull to one side under firm braking, or a long pedal, is the sign to get it looked at before a test.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Kia Sedona, on 47.1% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 34.8% against 25.2% 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 | 47.1% |
| Suspension | 39.5% |
| Brakes | 34.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.3% |
| Tyres | 15.7% |
| Visibility | 15.5% |
| Steering | 11.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
72.1% of Kia Sedona tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Sedonas, 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 | 21.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 16.1% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.5% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 13.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 11.6% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 8.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.7% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 7.5% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 6.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Kia Sedona problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Sedona?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 13.3% of failed Kia Sedona tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 47.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Sedona fail its MOT?
44.8% of Kia Sedona tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,107 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 41 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Sedona than on other cars?
Yes. “Service brake performance: excessively binding” appears on 8.2% of its failures against 3.6% for cars of the same age, and “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 5.4% of its failures against 2.8% 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 Sedona 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 | 4,107 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.