39,447 tests in 2025
Hyundai Kona reliability and MOT pass rate
89.3% passed first time. The 10.7% fail rate is 11.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 30,644 miles.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions. The electric version has its own page: Hyundai Kona Electric.
Pass rate
89.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 10.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
30,644 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 25,248 | 10.4% |
| 6-9 years | 13,776 | 11.1% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Kona fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres1,696 dangerous47.8%
- Brakes769 dangerous22.6%
- Visibility21%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous10.7%
- Suspension19 dangerous9.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4.6%
- Body, chassis, structure2 dangerous2.4%
- Steering5 dangerous1%
Is the Kona getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 10.7% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,308 | 3 | 6.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 7,945 | — | 8.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 13,715 | — | 9.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 24,544 | — | 10.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Kona at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Kona in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords755 tests
- 2Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively658 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick508 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm471 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed444 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn272 tests
- 7Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure161 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure149 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Kona collects 2.14 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,430 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,311 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,436 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,953 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,324 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre982 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt912 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords908 tests
Questions
What is the Hyundai Kona MOT pass rate?
89.3% of the 39,447 Hyundai Kona first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 10.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Hyundai Kona usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 755 failed tests, followed by "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, tyres appears in 47.8% of failures, brakes appears in 22.6% of failures, visibility appears in 21% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.4%; at 6-9 years it was 11.1%. The median Hyundai Kona tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 30,644 miles.
Is the Hyundai Kona getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 10.7% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Kona trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 3 safety recalls naming the Hyundai Kona: Hyundai Kona recalls.
Other Hyundai models
Checking a particular Kona?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.