2016 Kia Rio — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 51,025 MOT tests, the 2016 Kia Rio recorded an 86.3% pass rate. Against superminis of a similar age (15.5% fail rate), the 2016 Rio comes out 1.8pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.3%) and lighting & signalling (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 1,908 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.3% in the 0-30k band and 20.8% in the 150k+ band, a 12.5-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 13.0% fail against 16.9% for diesel, a 3.8-point gap across 51,025 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.3% | 3,240 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 2,680 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.7% | 2,381 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.3% | 2,213 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.5% | 774 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 509 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,908 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,841 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,424 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,036 |
| 5 | Washers | 983 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 768 |
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 | 25.6% | 13,044 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.3% | 11,387 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 3,559 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.9% | 3,530 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 1,633 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 1,110 |
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 | 12,887 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 25,613 | 13.8% |
| 60-90k | 10,018 | 18.7% |
| 90-120k | 2,051 | 21.0% |
| 120-150k | 358 | 24.6% |
| 150k+ | 96 | 20.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 41,331 | 13.0% |
| Diesel | 9,694 | 16.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,095 | 11.6% |
| 2022 | 10,155 | 12.6% |
| 2023 | 10,250 | 13.5% |
| 2024 | 10,213 | 15.2% |
| 2025 | 10,312 | 15.8% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Rio
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.3% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.3% 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 (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.7% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£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
How many 2016 Kia Rios pass their MOT?
86.3% of the 51,025 2016 Kia Rio MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Kia Rio?
Tyres, recorded in 6.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.3%).
Does the 2016 Rio get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 20.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 51,025 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.