Know Your MOT
39.0%fail rate

Kia Pride common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kia Pride fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 74,759 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 39.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Kia Pride in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 52.2% of the Kia Pride's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, other, exhaust & emissions. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes52.2% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical40.1% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Other34.2% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Exhaust & emissions32.7% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Suspension20.2% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Tyres16.7% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199138.8% fail · 1,803 tests
199238.2% fail · 4,315 tests
199338.8% fail · 6,604 tests
199438.7% fail · 6,439 tests
199538.7% fail · 5,895 tests
199638.3% fail · 6,312 tests
199738.3% fail · 8,088 tests
199837.2% fail · 7,423 tests
199940.1% fail · 12,522 tests
200040.2% fail · 15,293 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Kia Pride brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kia Pride brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kia Pride brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Kia Pride headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kia Pride headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kia Pride headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Kia Pride exhaustSearch Amazon for Kia Pride exhaustaffiliate searchFind Kia Pride exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kia Pride suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kia Pride suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kia Pride suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kia Pride tyresSearch Amazon for Kia Pride tyresaffiliate searchFind Kia Pride tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Kia Sportage MOT failures19.2% failure rateKia Picanto MOT failures22.7% failure rateKia Ceed MOT failures23.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain