2025 MOT results
Kia Stonic common problems
The most common reason a Kia Stonic fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 20.7% of its 4,002 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 4.2% of failures against 0.7% expected; a headlamp out at 2.8% of failures against 0.5% expected; worn brake pads at 17.7% of failures against 9.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 32,671 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 12.2% 4,002 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 3.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 34.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Stonic MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Stonic 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 |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 20.7% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 17.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.6% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 7.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.5% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 4.2% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 4.1% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.4% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 3.2% |
| Headlamp: not working on main beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
20.7% of failures 11.7% expected 1.8 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 brake pads
17.7% of failures 9.5% expected 1.9 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.
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.6% of failures 10.9% expected somewhat less often
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.
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Cut tyre
7.1% of failures 12.1% expected 1.7 times less often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Washers that do not work
5.5% of failures 4.8% expected about as expected
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
-
Headlamp out
5.5% of failures 2.8% expected 2 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Visibility is the area that most often fails a Kia Stonic, on 30.4% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 19.5%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 30.4% |
| Brakes | 25.5% |
| Tyres | 22.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.1% |
| Suspension | 8.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
| Steering | 2.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
34.3% of Kia Stonic tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Stonics, 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 | 12.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.1% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.2% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.6% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.4% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 1.4% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 1.3% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.2% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 1.1% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Kia Stonic problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Stonic?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 20.7% of failed Kia Stonic tests. Across categories, visibility is the area that most often fails one, on 30.4% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Stonic fail its MOT?
12.2% of Kia Stonic tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 32,671 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 57 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Stonic than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 4.2% of its failures against 0.7% for cars of the same age, and “Headlamp: not working on main beam” appears on 2.8% of its failures against 0.5% 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 Stonic 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 | 32,671 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.