2015 Kia Sportage — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Kia Sportage passed 83.1% of its 124,515 recorded MOT tests. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 15.8% of the time, so this is 1.1pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.1%) and tyres (6.5%) 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 rbt (sp) — brake pads alone was recorded 4,581 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.0% in the 0-30k band and 26.5% in the 150k+ band, a 17.4-point spread — more than double.
The diesel cars hold up better: 16.5% fail against 18.3% for petrol, a 1.8-point gap across 124,515 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.1% | 10,122 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 8,141 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 7,286 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 4,524 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.5% | 3,144 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 1,687 |
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 | 4,581 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 4,374 |
| 3 | Rbt (sp) | 3,438 |
| 4 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 3,299 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 2,947 |
| 6 | Wipers | 2,911 |
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 | 27.5% | 34,224 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.0% | 31,102 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.2% | 12,667 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.4% | 11,747 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 6,110 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.4% | 4,272 |
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 | 5,636 | 9.0% |
| 30-60k | 47,765 | 13.2% |
| 60-90k | 50,020 | 18.7% |
| 90-120k | 16,919 | 22.7% |
| 120-150k | 3,406 | 23.2% |
| 150k+ | 760 | 26.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 98,692 | 16.5% |
| Petrol | 25,823 | 18.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24,352 | 14.0% |
| 2022 | 24,567 | 14.6% |
| 2023 | 25,019 | 16.8% |
| 2024 | 25,315 | 19.0% |
| 2025 | 25,262 | 19.8% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Sportage
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.1% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.1% 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 (6.5% 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 (5.9% 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
How many 2015 Kia Sportages pass their MOT?
83.1% of the 124,515 2015 Kia Sportage MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Kia Sportage?
Brakes, recorded in 8.1% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2015 Sportage get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.0% in the 0-30k band to 26.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 124,515 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.