Kia Optima MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Kia Optima MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Kia Optima passed on its first attempt in 82.3%, and its overall record sits +3.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Kia Optima in the 2023–2025 data: 38,912 tests across 10 model years (2011–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Kia Optima MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Kia Optima, the Visibility section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Kia Optima's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Kia Optima DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Kia Optima, each with how many of the model's 38,912 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 870 Kia Optima tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 739 Kia Optima tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 578 Kia Optima tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 467 Kia Optima tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 398 Kia Optima tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 353 Kia Optima tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Kia Optima Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Kia Optima model year on record is 2020 (89.4% across 470 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (68.3%). The gap between them is 21.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Kia Optima reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Kia Optima Owners

These checks follow this Kia Optima's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Kia Optima.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”

  Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Kia Optima. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Kia Optima MOT & Reliability