2025 MOT results
Kia Sorento common problems
The most common reason a Kia Sorento fails its MOT is a worn steering or suspension joint, on 10.9% of its 10,350 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 10.9% of failures against 3.6% expected; a weak handbrake at 7.0% of failures against 3.7% expected; worn brake pads at 9.9% of failures against 6.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 36,082 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 28.7% 10,350 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 55.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Sorento MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Sorento 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 |
|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 10.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 9.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.1% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 7.8% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.2% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.0% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 5.9% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 5.8% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
10.9% of failures 3.6% expected 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.
-
Worn brake pads
9.9% of failures 6.6% expected 1.5 times as 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.1% of failures 8.4% 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 steering or suspension joint
7.8% of failures 5.2% expected 1.5 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.
-
Sidelight out
7.2% of failures 7.9% 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.
-
Weak handbrake
7.0% of failures 3.7% expected 1.9 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Kia Sorento, on 35.0% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 14.9% against 6.6% 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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 35.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 32.6% |
| Brakes | 29.3% |
| Tyres | 19.8% |
| Steering | 14.9% |
| Visibility | 11.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
55.6% of Kia Sorento tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Sorentos, 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 | 20.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 11.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 6.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.4% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.3% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 3.0% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Kia Sorento gets older
A 2022 Kia Sorento failed 12.3% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2013 one failed 36.8%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Kia Sorento 12.3% failed, from 2,150 tests
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 26.5%
- Headlamp aim set too high 14.0%
- Cut tyre 14.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 12.1%
- Leaking damper 9.5%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 6.8%
2013 Kia Sorento 36.8% failed, from 2,036 tests
- Worn steering or suspension joint 24.9%
- Worn brake pads 11.2%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 7.9%
- Weak handbrake 7.7%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 6.0%
- Headlamp out 5.7%
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 Sorento problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Sorento?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” is the most common: it appears on 10.9% of failed Kia Sorento tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 35.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Sorento fail its MOT?
28.7% of Kia Sorento tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 36,082 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 47 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Sorento than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 10.9% of its failures against 3.6% for cars of the same age, and “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” appears on 7.0% of its failures against 3.7% 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 Sorento 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 | 36,082 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.