SsangYong Korando MOT pass rate & common failures
The SsangYong Korando appears in 43,150 MOT tests spanning model years 1997–2022, and 78.6% of them passed. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (14.9% fail rate), the Korando comes out 6.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Korando years
Ranked across Korando 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 — 86.3% of 2019 examples pass against 71.2% of 2012 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.5% of all tests — 3.3 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are registration plate lamp(s), stop lamp and rigid brake pipes — registration plate lamp(s) alone was recorded 2,268 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 31.2% versus 10.9%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 5.3pp more often than petrol ones (21.4% vs 16.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 27.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 18.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Korando model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 67 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 397 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 3,181 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 3,404 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 5,973 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 8,798 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 7,477 | 79.1% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 5,452 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 4,368 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 2,647 | 86.3% | 13.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 1,098 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 229 | 85.2% | 14.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.5% | 5,399 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.2% | 3,974 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.8% | 2,935 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.0% | 2,166 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.7% | 2,047 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.1% | 1,352 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.4% | 594 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 412 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 2,268 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 2,010 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,525 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 1,374 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 1,338 |
| 6 | Wipers | 1,308 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 1,186 |
| 8 | Washers | 1,172 |
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 | 27.9% | 12,037 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.9% | 10,745 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.3% | 4,862 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 10.7% | 4,632 |
| 5 | Other defects | 9.2% | 3,975 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.4% | 3,644 |
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 | 6,883 | 10.9% |
| 30-60k | 17,052 | 18.7% |
| 60-90k | 12,868 | 25.8% |
| 90-120k | 4,798 | 30.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,165 | 31.2% |
| 150k+ | 343 | 31.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 42,531 | 21.4% |
| Petrol | 619 | 16.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,013 | 18.9% |
| 2022 | 8,634 | 19.2% |
| 2023 | 8,975 | 21.3% |
| 2024 | 8,879 | 23.0% |
| 2025 | 8,649 | 24.1% |
What to check before buying a SsangYong Korando
- Lighting & signalling (12.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.2% 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.
- Suspension (6.8% 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.
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 SsangYong Korando?
78.6% of the 43,150 SsangYong Korando MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.3% fail rate, across model years 1997–2022.
What does the SsangYong Korando most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.5% of tests, then brakes (9.2%).
Which Korando years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 86.3% and 2012 the weakest at 71.2%, from 2,647 and 3,181 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Korando MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.2% for 150k+, a 20.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Korando more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 16.2% of the time against 21.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 43,150 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.