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CarsKia Niro

MOT results · tests in 2025 · Great Britain

Kia Niro reliability: what the MOT shows

98,932 Niros had an MOT in 2025. 87.4% passed first time, against 84.4% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 3.0 points better than comparable cars.

87.4%passed first time

+3.0points against cars of the same age and mileage

98,932MOTs in 2025

Report card

Kia Niro MOT results by registration year

Each dot compares how often Niros of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.

Much betterBetterAbout the sameWorseMuch worse

Year	Passed first time	Against same age and mileage	MOTs
2016	84.0%	+9.2	1,279
2017	83.9%	+6.7	4,525
2018	85.7%	+6.9	7,451
2019	86.3%	+4.3	10,633
2020	86.9%	+2.0	20,323
2021	88.0%	+2.4	27,679
2022	88.7%	+1.8	27,041

Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.

Kia Niro years to avoid, going by the MOT

Ahead2016 to 2022+1.8 to +9.2 ptsMost common failures: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm in 2016; condition (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) in 2017 and 2018; wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. 98,931 MOTs.

Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.

What fails

Kia Niro common faults at the MOT

3.5% of Niro MOTs failed on visibility, against 3.2% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 5.8% on tyres, against 5.4%.

Most common failures

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively2.8%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.9%

Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.9%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.8%

Condition: has ply or cords exposed1.8%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.1%

Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1.5%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.6%

Headlamp aim: too low0.6%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.7%

Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps0.5%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.5%

Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid0.4%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.7%

Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative0.3%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.4%

NiroSame age and mileage

Fails more often than other cars

Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements4.6×0.24% of Niro MOTs (236) against 0.05% for cars of the same age and mileage

Headlamp: not working on main beam2.5×0.21% of Niro MOTs (211) against 0.08% for cars of the same age and mileage

Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements1.6×0.31% of Niro MOTs (308) against 0.19% for cars of the same age and mileage

Condition: has ply or cords exposed1.6×1.77% of Niro MOTs (1,751) against 1.11% for cars of the same age and mileage

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1.5×2.79% of Niro MOTs (2,764) against 1.90% for cars of the same age and mileage

Side repeaters: not working1.4×0.21% of Niro MOTs (208) against 0.15% for cars of the same age and mileage

Mileage

Pulls ahead after 60,000 miles

Up to 60,000 miles, Niros pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Ahead from there: 60–90,000 miles 7.1 points, 90–120,000 miles 8.2 points, 120,000+ miles 7.0 points.

Niro, first-time pass rateCars of the same age and mileage

Petrol, diesel or hybrid Niro

Fuel	MOTs	Passed first time	Same age and mileage	Gap (pts)	Median miles
Hybrid	54,589	87.2%	83.8%	+3.5	42,707
Electric	37,011	87.0%	84.8%	+2.3	44,674
Other	7,141	90.0%	87.0%	+3.0	30,482

Against rivals

Niro against other small SUVs

Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Niro ranks 3 of 12.

Model	MOTs	Passed first time	Same age and mileage	Gap (pts)
1. MINI Countryman	85,231	85.2%	79.6%	+5.6
2. VW T-Roc	74,609	90.6%	85.0%	+5.6
3. Kia Niro	71,890	86.9%	83.4%	+3.4
4. Suzuki Vitara	64,194	84.2%	80.8%	+3.4
5. Ford Puma	54,374	90.9%	87.6%	+3.3
6. Toyota C-HR	84,597	84.6%	83.2%	+1.4
7. Renault Captur	147,562	75.8%	79.2%	−3.4
8. Nissan Juke	226,911	73.4%	78.1%	−4.7
9. MG ZS	41,754	81.0%	86.0%	−5.0
10. Ford EcoSport	101,045	76.1%	81.7%	−5.6
11. Peugeot 2008	126,311	72.5%	79.3%	−6.7
12. Vauxhall Mokka	216,957	67.4%	77.3%	−9.9

Check these before you buy a used Niro

What testers most often noted as advisories on Niros in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge14% (14%)
Condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing8% (6%)
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened5% (6%)
Condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords2% (2%)
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge2% (2%)
Brake pads: wearing thin1% (7%)
Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement1% (2%)
Condition: slightly damaged1% (1%)

Questions about Niro reliability

Is the Kia Niro reliable?

At the MOT, 87.4% of 98,932 Niro MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 84.4% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2016 to 2022: ahead (+1.8 to +9.2 points).

Which Kia Niro years should I avoid?

None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Niro?

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively: 2.8% of Niro MOTs, against 1.9% for cars of the same age and mileage.

Is the Niro more reliable than the Nissan Juke?

For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Nissan Juke passed 73.4% first time, −4.7 points against comparable cars. The Niro passed 86.9%, +3.4 points.

How we measure

Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.

Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.

Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Niro's mix of ages and mileages.

Model. Every car DVSA records as a Kia Niro: 22 recorded model names, from "NIRO" to trims such as "NIRO 2 EV".

The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.