10,230 tests in 2025
Kia Optima reliability and MOT pass rate
81.7% passed first time. The 18.3% fail rate is 4.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 80,689 miles.
Pass rate
81.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
80,689 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 129 | — |
| 6-9 years | 8,188 | 15.8% |
| 10-13 years | 1,889 | 28.8% |
| 14+ years | 24 | — |
What the Optima 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.
- Brakes507 dangerous42.4%
- Tyres687 dangerous34.7%
- Suspension8 dangerous15.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous13.9%
- Visibility1 dangerous11.3%
- Steering12 dangerous9.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous7.6%
- Body, chassis, structure2 dangerous4%
Is the Optima getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.4 points to 18.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11,594 | 5 | 16% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 11,501 | 6 | 17.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,754 | 7 | 17.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 10,192 | 8 | 18.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Optima 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 Optima in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick346 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm221 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed176 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords133 tests
- 5Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play128 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction112 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements97 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding85 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Optima collects 2.4 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,965 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,229 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,009 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure609 tests
- 5Registration plates: inscription illegible321 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn314 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt303 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded295 tests
Questions
What is the Kia Optima MOT pass rate?
81.7% of the 10,230 Kia Optima first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Kia Optima usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 346 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, brakes appears in 42.4% of failures, tyres appears in 34.7% of failures, suspension appears in 15.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 17.1%; at 10-13 years it was 28.8%. The median Kia Optima tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 80,689 miles.
Is the Kia Optima getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.4 points to 18.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Optima 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 Kia Optima: Kia Optima recalls.
Other Kia models
Checking a particular Optima?
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.