2018 Hyundai Kona MOT pass rate: 89.9% (19,668 tests)

2018-registered Hyundai Konas passed 89.9% of 19,668 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 3.6 points better than all UK cars registered in 2018 (86.3%). This is one of the strongest Kona years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

89.9%Pass rate, 2018 cars

103.6Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

19,668Tests analysed

37,194 miMedian mileage at test

89.9% / 85.7%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2018 Kona getting worse?

Pass rate of 2018-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	91.1% +3.0 vs same-age
2024	89.9% +3.7 vs same-age
2025	88.8% +4.0 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2018 Kona

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	1,034	32.0%
2	Brakes	968	30.0%
3	Visibility	469	14.5%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	290	9.0%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	191	5.9%
6	Suspension	161	5.0%

All Kona years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2018 (this page)	19,668	89.9%	+3.6 pts	37,194
2019	20,631	91.0%	+2.6 pts	31,768
2020	17,106	91.1%	+1.2 pts	30,449
2021	10,849	91.2%	+0.8 pts	31,412
2022	4,949	92.3%	+1.1 pts	26,533

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Hyundai Kona years to avoid.

Buying a 2018 Kona? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2018 Hyundai Kona reliable?

2018-registered examples passed 89.9% of their MOT tests (19,668 tests, 2023–2025), +3.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 8 years old with a median 37,194 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2018 Kona?

The median tested example shows 37,194 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.