Kia Stinger MOT pass rate & common failures
The Kia Stinger appears in 9,506 MOT tests spanning model years 2017–2023, and 91.1% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (10.5% fail rate), the Stinger comes out 1.6pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.1%) and brakes (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and wipers — tread depth alone was recorded 288 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 18.8% once past 90-120k — 2.9× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.9pp more often than petrol ones (11.1% vs 8.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Stinger model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 737 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 3,600 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 3,988 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 679 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 333 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 167 | 93.4% | 6.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.1% | 487 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.3% | 214 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.1% | 195 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.7% | 165 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 67 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.4% | 42 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.1% | 10 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.1% | 8 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 288 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 220 |
| 3 | Wipers | 199 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 174 |
| 5 | Registration plates | 73 |
| 6 | Washers | 43 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 37 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 31 |
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 | 22.6% | 2,147 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.6% | 1,388 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.3% | 405 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.8% | 263 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.7% | 66 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.4% | 40 |
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 | 4,309 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 4,162 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 879 | 11.8% |
| 90-120k | 138 | 18.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 7,236 | 8.2% |
| Diesel | 2,270 | 11.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 888 | 6.4% |
| 2022 | 1,897 | 8.1% |
| 2023 | 2,108 | 8.9% |
| 2024 | 2,247 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 2,366 | 9.0% |
What to check before buying a Kia Stinger
- Tyres (5.1% 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.
- Brakes (2.3% 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.
- Visibility (2.1% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kia Stinger?
91.1% of the 9,506 Kia Stinger MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 8.9% fail rate, across model years 2017–2023.
What does the Kia Stinger most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.1% of tests, then brakes (2.3%).
How much does mileage affect Stinger MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.8% for 90-120k, a 12.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Stinger more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 8.2% of the time against 11.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,506 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.