Kia Niro MOT pass rate: 90.5% (54,779 tests, 2025)

Name: Kia Niro MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Kia Niro passed 90.5% of its 54,779 MOT tests in 2025 — 13.0 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 5 years old with 43,721 miles on the clock.

90.5%Pass rate (2025)

54,779MOT tests analysed

43,721 miMedian mileage at test

5 yrsMedian age at test

How the Niro compares

Kia Niro

90.5%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Kia average (all models)

79.8%

What fails most on the Kia Niro

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Niro:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	4,089	48.8%
2	Brakes	1,525	18.2%
3	Visibility	1,193	14.2%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	914	10.9%
5	Suspension	301	3.6%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	167	2.0%

Pre-MOT checklist for Niro owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Niro pass rate by registration year

Strongest age-adjusted years: 2016. Full ranking and method: Kia Niro years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2016	3,834	87.3%	+5.9 pts	59,266	87.3% visual scale
2017	13,431	87.3%	+3.3 pts	56,754	87.3% visual scale
2018	21,898	90.1%	+3.8 pts	56,338	90.1% visual scale
2019	31,014	90.6%	+2.2 pts	43,773	90.6% visual scale
2020	38,091	91.7%	+1.8 pts	30,621	91.7% visual scale
2021	21,180	91.9%	+1.5 pts	28,164	91.9% visual scale
2022	7,095	92.0%	+0.7 pts	25,204	92.0% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 820 cars · 5.4% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 426 cars · 5.2% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 5,385 cars · 2.4% failed the same item the next year
Service brake performance binding but not excessively — 216 cars · 1.9% failed the same item the next year
Condition slightly damaged/cracking or perishing — 3,842 cars · 1.0% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Niro before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Kia models

SPORTAGE78.9% pass rate · 253,493 tests Picanto76.2% pass rate · 180,724 tests Ceed72.5% pass rate · 111,091 tests Rio75.4% pass rate · 95,713 tests Venga77.7% pass rate · 46,179 tests Sorento73.0% pass rate · 30,615 tests Soul73.2% pass rate · 21,811 tests Stonic89.1% pass rate · 18,986 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Kia Niro?

In 2025, 90.5% of 54,779 first MOT tests on the Kia Niro were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Niro fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is tyres (48.8% of its recorded defects), followed by brakes.

Is the Kia Niro reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 90.5% it performs above the national average at a median age of 5 years and 43,721 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.