Kia Stonic MOT pass rate & common failures
111,207 MOT tests on the Kia Stonic (2017–2025) give it a 92.6% pass rate. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 8.8% of the time, so this is 1.5pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are visibility, brakes and tyres.
Best and worst Stonic years
Ranked across Stonic 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 94.2% of the time while 2017 cars manage 91.0%, a 3.3-point spread.
No single area dominates — visibility (3.8%) and brakes (2.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, brake pads and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 3,960 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.4% versus 4.6%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 5.0pp more often than hybrid ones (9.9% vs 5.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 16.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 4.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 8.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Stonic model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3,913 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Brakes |
| 2018 | 37,168 | 91.8% | 8.3% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 35,390 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 14,691 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 12,889 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 6,793 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Visibility |
| 2023 | 352 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 3.8% | 4,232 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.5% | 2,814 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.3% | 2,568 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.8% | 1,996 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.5% | 585 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 494 |
| 7 | Steering | 0.2% | 248 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.2% | 179 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 3,960 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 2,602 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,587 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,216 |
| 5 | Washers | 1,060 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 742 |
| 7 | Brake discs | 486 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 408 |
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 | 16.5% | 18,381 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.7% | 16,326 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.0% | 7,752 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 3,186 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 1,214 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.0% | 1,087 |
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 | 62,287 | 4.6% |
| 30-60k | 41,883 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 6,285 | 14.6% |
| 90-120k | 641 | 15.3% |
| 120-150k | 85 | 22.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 86,517 | 7.4% |
| Diesel | 12,370 | 9.9% |
| Hybrid | 12,320 | 5.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,336 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 16,954 | 5.4% |
| 2023 | 22,008 | 7.3% |
| 2024 | 28,426 | 8.2% |
| 2025 | 35,483 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a Kia Stonic
- Visibility (3.8% 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.
- Brakes (2.5% 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.
- Tyres (2.3% 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.
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 Stonic?
92.6% of the 111,207 Kia Stonic MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 7.4% fail rate, across model years 2017–2025.
What does the Kia Stonic most often fail its MOT on?
Visibility, recorded in 3.8% of tests, then brakes (2.5%).
Which Stonic years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 94.2% and 2017 the weakest at 91.0%, from 6,793 and 3,913 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Stonic MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.4% for 120-150k, a 17.8-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Stonic more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 5.0% of the time against 9.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 111,207 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.