3,850 tests in 2025
Kia Sedona reliability and MOT pass rate
62.1% passed first time. The 37.9% fail rate is 15.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 98,246 miles.
Pass rate
62.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 37.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
98,246 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 130 | — |
| 14+ years | 3,715 | 38.1% |
What the Sedona 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.
- Suspension37 dangerous46.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment14 dangerous41.6%
- Brakes202 dangerous40.5%
- Body, chassis, structure25 dangerous21.4%
- Tyres313 dangerous18.4%
- Steering3 dangerous14.1%
- Visibility14%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6 dangerous8.4%
Is the Sedona getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.1 points to 37.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,609 | 14 | 38% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,267 | 15 | 38.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,508 | 16 | 38.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,848 | 17 | 37.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Sedona 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 Sedona in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn204 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working186 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken155 tests
- 4Service brake performance: excessively binding141 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working136 tests
- 6Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements128 tests
- 7Headlamp: not working on dipped beam123 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm110 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Sedona collects 3.65 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 1.6mm741 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn663 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine569 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded516 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened448 tests
- 6Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened333 tests
- 7Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened324 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick312 tests
Questions
What is the Kia Sedona MOT pass rate?
62.1% of the 3,850 Kia Sedona first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 37.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Kia Sedona usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 204 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 46.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 41.6% of failures, brakes appears in 40.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 38.1%. The median Kia Sedona tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 98,246 miles.
Is the Kia Sedona getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.1 points to 37.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 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 Sedona 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 9 safety recalls naming the Kia Sedona: Kia Sedona recalls.
Other Kia models
Checking a particular Sedona?
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.