Car
Hyundai Tucson
87.0%
pass rate across 423,299 tests
85.2% first-time pass rate
Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage
The two cars compared on 1,348,508 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Kia Sportage
83.3%
pass rate across 925,209 tests
80.3% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Hyundai Tucson has the stronger MOT record
Across 1,348,508 tests, the Hyundai Tucson has the stronger first-time record: 85.2% against 80.3%, a 4.9-point gap. On all MOTs the Hyundai Tucson is ahead at 87.0% versus 83.3%. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Hyundai Tucson is +0.1 points against its expected rate, the Kia Sportage −1.0. A typical repair bill is similar: £34–£86 for the Hyundai Tucson and £32–£81 for the Kia Sportage; at their pass rates that is roughly £436–£1,116 versus £539–£1,359 per 100 tests.
- First-time pass: 85.2% vs 80.3%.
- All MOTs: 87.0% vs 83.3%.
- Like-for-like: +0.1 vs −1.0 points.
- Typical repair bill: £34–£86 vs £32–£81.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 77.1% vs 74.8%.
| Measure | Tucson | Sportage |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 423,299 | 925,209 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 87.0% stronger figure | 83.3% |
| First-time pass rate | 85.2% stronger figure | 80.3% |
| Against the UK average | +6.0 pts stronger figure | +2.3 pts |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +0.1 pts stronger figure | −1.0 pts |
| Average mileage at test | 70,255 mi | 73,544 mi |
| Model years on record | 2004–2024 (17) | 2003–2024 (21) |
| Best model year | 2024 · 95.4% | 2024 · 95.9% |
| Worst model year | 2006 · 68.6% | 2007 · 67.0% |
| Typical repair bill | £34–£86 | £32–£81 stronger figure |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £436–£1,116 stronger figure | £539–£1,359 |
| Main fuel | Petrol 54% | Diesel 57% |
| Variants recorded | 1 | 9 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Sportage
- Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection 4.3% £20–£80
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Tucson | Sportage |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 86.1% · 80,128 tests | 85.8% · 125,070 tests |
| 2018 | 88.2% · 82,205 tests | 87.7% · 112,467 tests |
| 2019 | 89.3% · 83,841 tests | 88.7% · 105,174 tests |
| 2020 | 89.6% · 30,247 tests | 89.7% · 52,220 tests |
| 2021 | 91.5% · 28,229 tests | 90.4% · 48,922 tests |
| 2022 | 92.2% · 13,185 tests | 92.6% · 13,854 tests |
| 2023 | 94.3% · 805 tests | 95.0% · 753 tests |
| 2024 | 95.4% · 241 tests | 95.9% · 73 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Tucson | Sportage |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 92.7% · 91,447 tests | 92.1% · 131,676 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 88.3% · 198,887 tests | 87.4% · 331,691 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 83.0% · 94,414 tests | 81.0% · 266,172 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 77.1% · 27,766 tests | 74.8% · 135,823 tests |
| 120k+ | 72.8% · 10,739 tests | 71.5% · 59,728 tests |
What to check before you buy
Hyundai Tucson
- Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection — 4.4% of tests, £20–£80 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2006 at 68.6%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Kia Sportage
- Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection — 4.3% of tests, £20–£80 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2007 at 67.0%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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