Kia Rio MOT pass rate: 75.4% (95,713 tests, 2025)

The Kia Rio passed 75.4% of its 95,713 MOT tests in 2025 — 2.1 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 62,948 miles on the clock.

75.4%Pass rate (2025)

95,713MOT tests analysed

62,948 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the Rio compares

Kia Rio

75.4%

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 Rio

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	12,562	22.1%
2	Suspension	11,091	19.5%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	10,654	18.7%
4	Tyres	8,134	14.3%
5	Visibility	5,044	8.9%
6	Steering	4,540	8.0%

Pre-MOT checklist for Rio owners

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

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

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

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

Rio pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2007, 2008, 2011. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2017, 2018. Full ranking and method: Kia Rio years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2006	2,757	60.0%	-4.5 pts	87,564
2007	3,469	59.7%	-5.4 pts	88,383
2008	5,925	59.3%	-5.8 pts	87,319
2009	13,989	63.0%	-3.4 pts	79,862
2010	17,807	62.9%	-4.5 pts	81,509
2011	20,178	62.9%	-6.3 pts	78,526
2012	26,550	66.7%	-4.5 pts	81,427
2013	29,323	68.8%	-4.5 pts	73,408
2014	32,520	73.2%	-2.6 pts	65,872
2015	33,641	80.7%	+2.0 pts	56,343
2016	26,134	82.8%	+1.4 pts	48,747
2017	23,889	86.3%	+2.3 pts	44,997
2018	16,876	88.7%	+2.3 pts	36,870
2019	14,312	89.3%	+0.9 pts	29,112
2020	9,279	91.1%	+1.1 pts	23,239
2021	4,276	92.3%	+1.9 pts	22,610
2022	3,010	93.1%	+1.8 pts	20,928

Check a specific Rio 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 Niro90.5% pass rate · 54,779 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 Rio?

In 2025, 75.4% of 95,713 first MOT tests on the Kia Rio were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Rio fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is brakes (22.1% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the Kia Rio reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 75.4% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 62,948 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

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.