Kia Sorento MOT pass rate & common failures
227,789 MOT tests on the Kia Sorento (2003–2025) give it a 78.9% pass rate. Large SUVs of a similar age fail 16.5% of the time, so this is 4.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Sorento years
Ranked across Sorento 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
Not every year is equal — 92.2% of 2022 examples pass against 65.5% of 2004 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.8%) and suspension (8.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, track rod end and ball joint — headlamp aim alone was recorded 8,662 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 33.2% once past 150k — 4.6× the risk.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 18.9pp more often than hybrid ones (27.6% vs 8.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 26.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 22.1% in 2021 to 20.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Sorento model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,845 | 66.2% | 33.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 5,741 | 65.5% | 34.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 9,326 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 15,770 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 10,214 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 7,344 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 9,508 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 12,773 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 11,011 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 12,614 | 75.1% | 24.9% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 13,706 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Steering |
| 2014 | 18,080 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Steering |
| 2015 | 23,601 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 18,377 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 17,791 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 15,379 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 12,422 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 3,981 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 5,302 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 2,484 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 391 | 98.5% | 1.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 126 | 99.2% | 0.8% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 20,161 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.5% | 19,317 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.5% | 19,267 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.6% | 10,568 |
| 5 | Steering | 3.7% | 8,432 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 7,544 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.2% | 7,330 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.7% | 3,952 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 8,662 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 8,077 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 7,656 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 7,111 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 6,704 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 6,225 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 5,748 |
| 8 | Wipers | 5,632 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 26.2% | 59,666 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.7% | 56,281 |
| 3 | Suspension | 20.5% | 46,630 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.4% | 25,938 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.0% | 15,971 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 15,500 |
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 | 20,143 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 55,518 | 13.1% |
| 60-90k | 59,601 | 20.2% |
| 90-120k | 53,994 | 27.7% |
| 120-150k | 28,228 | 31.6% |
| 150k+ | 10,253 | 33.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 217,735 | 21.5% |
| Hybrid | 8,522 | 8.7% |
| Petrol | 1,531 | 27.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47,341 | 22.1% |
| 2022 | 46,768 | 21.1% |
| 2023 | 45,125 | 21.3% |
| 2024 | 44,400 | 20.8% |
| 2025 | 44,155 | 20.1% |
What to check before buying a Kia Sorento
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.5% 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 (8.5% 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 Sorento?
78.9% of the 227,789 Kia Sorento MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.1% fail rate, across model years 2003–2025.
What does the Kia Sorento most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.8% of tests, then suspension (8.5%).
Which Sorento years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 92.2% and 2004 the weakest at 65.5%, from 2,484 and 5,741 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Sorento MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.2% for 150k+, a 25.9-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Sorento more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 8.7% of the time against 27.6% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 227,789 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.