Is the Kia Sportage reliable?

On MOT evidence the Kia Sportage is about average. It passes 71.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 153 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Kia Sportage?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.7% of failed Kia Sportage tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Kia Sportage?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.6% of all Kia Sportage tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Kia Sportage usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 63,448 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Kia Sportage years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Kia Sportage cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 86.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 54.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Kia Sportage get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.2% of Kia Sportage tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Kia Sportage models petrol or diesel?

Of the Kia Sportage cars tested, 47% are diesel, 42% are petrol, 11% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Kia Sportage MOT pass rate & common failures

From 301,416 recorded MOT tests of the Kia Sportage, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Kia Sportage passes 71.7% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is about average, ranking it 153 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 301,416 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 20.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 63,448 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

71.7%national average72.3%unadjusted77.1%range covered99%rank153 of 262

The Sportage is 0.6 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is about average. The unadjusted figure is 77.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Kia Sportage tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.7%
11,998 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm18.4%
10,716 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.4%
6,048 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.1%
5,284 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement8.1%
4,708 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
6.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play8.1%
4,701 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged7.6%
4,422 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.3%
3,105 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.Parking brake inoperative on one side5.0%
2,903 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened4.8%
2,807 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Kia Sportage tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements26.6%
80,132 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm15.9%
48,056 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged12.4%
37,327 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.0%
33,245 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.0%
27,148 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4.6%
13,959 tests
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.5%
13,667 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.2%
9,577 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Kia Sportage

The 24 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Kia Sportage common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Sportage, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Sportage common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Sportage pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Kia Sportage passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202286%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201981%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201673%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201360%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier54%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Sportage outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Sportage fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 63,448
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel47.4%
Petrol42.0%
Hybrid10.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

SPORTAGE 1 CRDI ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE 2 CRDI
SPORTAGE 2 CRDI ISG
SPORTAGE 2 CRDI ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE 2 CRDI ISG MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE 2 ISG
SPORTAGE 2 ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE 2 MHEV
SPORTAGE 2.0 CRD 5DR
SPORTAGE 3 CRDI ISG
SPORTAGE 3 CRDI ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE 3 CRDI ISG MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE 3 HEV AUTO
SPORTAGE 3 ISG
SPORTAGE 3 ISG 4X4
SPORTAGE 3 ISG HEV AUTO
SPORTAGE 3 ISG MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE 3 MHEV
SPORTAGE 3 MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE 3 PHEV 4X4 AUTO
SPORTAGE 4 CRDI ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE 4 CRDI ISG MHEV 4X4 A
SPORTAGE 4 CRDI ISG MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE 4 CRDI ISG MHEV4X4 SA
SPORTAGE 4 ISG HEV AUTO
SPORTAGE 4 ISG MHEV 4X4 SA
SPORTAGE 4 PHEV 4X4 AUTO
SPORTAGE AWD
SPORTAGE AWD CRDI
SPORTAGE CRDI
SPORTAGE CRDI AWD
SPORTAGE GT-LINE
SPORTAGE GT-LINE CRDI ISG
SPORTAGE GT-LINE CRDI ISG 4X4
SPORTAGE GT-LINE CRDI ISG MHEV
SPORTAGE GT-LINE HEV AUTO
SPORTAGE GT-LINE ISG
SPORTAGE GT-LINE ISG HEV AUTO
SPORTAGE GT-LINE ISG MHEV S-A
SPORTAGE GT-LINE MHEV

Check a specific Kia Sportage

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Kia models

Kia Picanto — 65.5% adjusted
Kia Ceed — 68.9% adjusted
Kia Niro — 85.8% adjusted
Kia Rio — 69.0% adjusted
Kia Venga — 64.3% adjusted
Kia Sorento — 72.2% adjusted
All Kia models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Renault Clio — 59.1% adjusted, ranked 256
Ford Kuga — 75.3% adjusted, ranked 106
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted, ranked 125
Ford Transit — 68.0% adjusted, ranked 195

Common questions

Is the Kia Sportage reliable?: On MOT evidence the Kia Sportage is about average. It passes 71.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 153 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Kia Sportage?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.7% of failed Kia Sportage tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Kia Sportage?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.6% of all Kia Sportage tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Kia Sportage usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 63,448 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Kia Sportage years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Kia Sportage cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 86.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 54.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Kia Sportage get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.2% of Kia Sportage tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Kia Sportage models petrol or diesel?: Of the Kia Sportage cars tested, 47% are diesel, 42% are petrol, 11% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.