Kia Optima MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 24 model years and 64,103 tests, the Kia Optima passes its MOT 85.5% of the time. That is effectively the same as large family cars of a similar age (14.5% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Optima years
Ranked across Optima years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2018 cars pass 88.5% of the time while 2012 cars manage 73.6%, a 14.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — brakes (5.9%) and tyres (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, tread depth and wipers — brake pads alone was recorded 2,361 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.6% in the 0-30k band and 19.6% in the 150k+ band, a 12.0-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 7.1pp more often than hybrid ones (16.3% vs 9.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 25.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Optima model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 228 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 4,452 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 2,133 | 77.5% | 22.6% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 3,699 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 3,642 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 7,214 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 19,017 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 15,312 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 7,840 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 524 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 5.9% | 3,817 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.8% | 3,739 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.3% | 2,093 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.3% | 2,083 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 1,091 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.6% | 1,023 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 611 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 296 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 2,361 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 2,039 |
| 3 | Wipers | 1,695 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,290 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 967 |
| 6 | Track rod end | 790 |
| 7 | Washers | 725 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 599 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 25.8% | 16,561 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.3% | 14,932 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.9% | 5,720 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.5% | 2,906 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 2,326 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 1,526 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 6,476 | 7.6% |
| 30-60k | 23,585 | 12.4% |
| 60-90k | 19,328 | 15.9% |
| 90-120k | 9,433 | 19.0% |
| 120-150k | 3,374 | 19.0% |
| 150k+ | 1,905 | 19.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 59,008 | 14.9% |
| Hybrid | 4,555 | 9.2% |
| Petrol | 540 | 16.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,438 | 12.6% |
| 2022 | 13,378 | 13.9% |
| 2023 | 13,363 | 14.9% |
| 2024 | 13,134 | 15.3% |
| 2025 | 12,790 | 15.7% |
What to check before buying a Kia Optima
- Brakes (5.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Tyres (5.8% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (3.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Optima?
85.5% of the 64,103 Kia Optima MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.5% fail rate, across model years 1999–2022.
What does the Kia Optima most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 5.9% of tests, then tyres (5.8%).
Which Optima years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 88.5% and 2012 the weakest at 73.6%, from 15,312 and 4,452 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Optima MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 19.6% for 150k+, a 12.0-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Optima more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 9.2% of the time against 16.3% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 64,103 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.