Kia Rio MOT pass rate & common failures
598,282 MOT tests on the Kia Rio (2001–2023) give it an 80.3% pass rate. That is effectively the same as superminis of a similar age (19.4% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Rio years
Ranked across Rio 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
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (94.0% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (67.4%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.6%) and suspension (6.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, track rod end and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 21,707 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.2% once past 150k — 4.0× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 18.4pp more often than hybrid ones (25.1% vs 6.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.6% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rio model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 226 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2002 | 869 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 1,639 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 2,733 | 68.8% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 4,533 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 7,842 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 9,503 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 15,633 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 34,496 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 42,806 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 47,223 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 59,063 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 63,785 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 68,234 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 66,689 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 51,025 | 86.3% | 13.8% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 45,143 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 31,225 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 21,324 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 11,109 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 7,820 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 5,153 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 209 | 96.7% | 3.4% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 51,527 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.4% | 38,118 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.3% | 37,684 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.5% | 33,121 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.2% | 31,282 |
| 6 | Steering | 3.4% | 20,084 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 10,454 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.6% | 9,373 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 21,707 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 21,435 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 19,617 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 17,788 |
| 5 | Ball joint dust cover | 16,315 |
| 6 | Washers | 15,419 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 14,958 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 14,043 |
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 | 26.6% | 159,265 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.0% | 143,692 |
| 3 | Suspension | 16.7% | 100,039 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.9% | 53,553 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 7.3% | 43,575 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.8% | 28,856 |
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 | 103,646 | 7.9% |
| 30-60k | 207,728 | 16.5% |
| 60-90k | 168,597 | 24.1% |
| 90-120k | 82,499 | 28.4% |
| 120-150k | 26,609 | 30.6% |
| 150k+ | 9,141 | 31.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 457,855 | 18.2% |
| Diesel | 135,613 | 25.1% |
| Hybrid | 4,809 | 6.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 116,017 | 18.8% |
| 2022 | 119,487 | 19.3% |
| 2023 | 120,844 | 19.9% |
| 2024 | 120,956 | 20.4% |
| 2025 | 120,978 | 19.7% |
What to check before buying a Kia Rio
- Lighting & signalling (8.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (6.3% 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.
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 Rio?
80.3% of the 598,282 Kia Rio MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.7% fail rate, across model years 2001–2023.
What does the Kia Rio most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.6% of tests, then suspension (6.4%).
Which Rio years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 94.0% and 2003 the weakest at 67.4%, from 5,153 and 1,639 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Rio MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.2% for 150k+, a 23.3-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Rio more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 6.7% of the time against 25.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 598,282 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.