Kia Niro MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 119,849 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 12.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Kia Niro MOT Reliability Overview
The Kia Niro is a well-known vehicle in the UK, with 119,849 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 8 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 87.9% and a failure rate of 12.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Kia Niro earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Kia Niro presents for MOT with approximately 41,247 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2023 models achieve the highest pass rate at 100.0%, while 2018 models have the lowest at 86.9%. This 13.1 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Kia Niro is Tyres, affecting 14.0% of all tests. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. The second most common issue is Visibility at 4.2%. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment rounds out the top three at 3.5%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
All manufacture years perform similarly at ~88.4%.
Based on 2024 MOT test results only — the most recent data available. "Built" = year of manufacture. Cars need their first MOT at 3 years old, so the newest cars shown are from ~3 years ago.
Bar chart showing pass rate by manufacture year from 2016 to 2021
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 5 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Kia Niro vintages degrade over time, from age 1 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Kia Niro. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (7 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 8 years, with warranty expiry marked at 7 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Kia Niro ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 17% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 7 (15.7% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 14.0% | 16,777 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.2% | 5,003 |
| 3 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 3.5% | 4,143 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 4,130 |
| 5 | Non-component Advisories | 1.2% | 1,461 |
| 6 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 0.3% | 354 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.3% | 348 |
| 8 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.3% | 323 |
| 9 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.2% | 239 |
| 10 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.2% | 208 |
| 11 | Road Wheels | 0.1% | 122 |
| 12 | Steering | 0.1% | 108 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 41,247 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.39 | 14.0% | 16,777 |
| Visibility | 1.01 | 4.2% | 5,003 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 0.84 | 3.5% | 4,143 |
| Brakes | 0.84 | 3.4% | 4,130 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.30 | 1.2% | 1,461 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.07 | 0.3% | 354 |
| Suspension | 0.07 | 0.3% | 348 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.07 | 0.3% | 323 |
| Body & Structure | 0.05 | 0.2% | 239 |
| Seat Belts | 0.04 | 0.2% | 208 |
| Wheels | 0.02 | 0.1% | 122 |
| Steering | 0.02 | 0.1% | 108 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Kia Niro has 41,247 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Kia Niro has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 2.93% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Kia Niro MOT Data
The Kia Niro is a well-known vehicle in the UK, with 119,849 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 8 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 87.9% and a failure rate of 12.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Kia Niro owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on tyres and visibility for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Niro is likely to perform.
Tyres — 14.0% of failures
Tyres issues account for 14.0% of MOT failures on the Kia Niro. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Visibility — 4.2% of failures
Visibility issues account for 4.2% of MOT failures on the Kia Niro. Visibility failures relate to the windscreen, wipers, washers, mirrors, and view-obstructing damage. Cracks in the windscreen swept area, ineffective wipers, or empty washer bottles are common causes. Typical repair costs: £10–300. Pre-MOT check: Check the windscreen for chips and cracks — damage larger than 10mm in the driver's swept area or 40mm elsewhere will fail. Test washers and wipers. Ensure both door mirrors are intact and adjustable.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 3.5% of failures
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 3.5% of MOT failures on the Kia Niro. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Compare Kia Niro
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Niro?
Based on 119,849 MOT tests in our database, the Kia Niro has an overall pass rate of 87.9% (12.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Kia Niro?
The top 3 reasons a Kia Niro fails its MOT are: 1. Tyres (14.0%), 2. Visibility (4.2%), 3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (3.5%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Kia Niro reliable?
With a 12.1% MOT failure rate, the Niro is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Kia Niro?
Based on failure data, focus on: Tyres (14.0%); Visibility (4.2%); Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (3.5%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.