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1997 Kia Mentor — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
30.2%
Latest Pass Rate
1,907
Total Tests (All Years)
70,902 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 18

This car: 30.2%
Average: 54.3%

⚠️ 24.1% below average (8383 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Kia Mentor as it ages.

12 yrs38.1%
13 yrs32.4%
14 yrs34.9%
15 yrs40.7%
16 yrs40.2%
17 yrs30.5%
18 yrs30.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 18 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs38.1%648
13 yrs32.4%481
14 yrs34.9%327
15 yrs40.7%204
16 yrs40.2%122
17 yrs30.5%82
18 yrs30.2%43

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Kia Mentor pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (18 yrs)30.2%43
2014 (17 yrs)30.5%82
2013 (16 yrs)40.2%122
2012 (15 yrs)40.7%204
2011 (14 yrs)34.9%327
2010 (13 yrs)32.4%481
2009 (12 yrs)38.1%648

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
38.1%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 648Avg Mileage 75,753Top Failure Suspension — 44.4%
2010High Fail Rate
32.4%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 481Avg Mileage 75,696Top Failure Suspension — 49.7%
2011High Fail Rate
34.9%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 327Avg Mileage 75,881Top Failure Suspension — 49.5%
2012High Fail Rate
40.7%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 204Avg Mileage 78,635Top Failure Suspension — 45.1%
2013High Fail Rate
40.2%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 122Avg Mileage 73,257Top Failure Suspension — 133.6%
2014High Fail Rate
30.5%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 82Avg Mileage 74,575Top Failure Suspension — 119.5%
2015High Fail Rate
30.2%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 43Avg Mileage 70,902Top Failure Suspension — 153.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Kia Mentor, with age trends.

Suspension
85.0%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
68.4%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
58.3%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
28.9%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
24.5%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension44.4% (12 yrs)153.5% (18 yrs)
+109.1%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment33.2% (12 yrs)97.7% (18 yrs)
+64.5%
🔴 ↑
Brakes38.4% (12 yrs)93.0% (18 yrs)
+54.6%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions20.2% (12 yrs)48.8% (18 yrs)
+28.6%
🔴 ↑
Tyres18.7% (12 yrs)30.2% (18 yrs)
+11.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Kia Mentor page →

About This Data

This page shows how Kia Mentor cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 1,907 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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