Hyundai
5,067 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Kona Play T Gdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.9%
Pass-after-fix
3.4%
Fail
8.5%
Avg miles
29,649
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 5,067 tests
Pass rate climbs 5.6 points across the cohorts — newer Kona Play T Gdi examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.7%
Fail
8.6%
PRS
3.5%
Avg mileage at test
29,946 mi
Pass
93.2%
Fail
6.3%
PRS
0.5%
Avg mileage at test
22,119 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,257 MOT tests, the Kona Play T-Gdi returns 89.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Wipers that don't clear the screen and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,537, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
12–24
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Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
133 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
98 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
79 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
45 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
42 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
34 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
31 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
13 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
9 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£180–£345
If every one of this Kona Play T Gdi's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 5.6-point gap between bands means the year you buy Hyundai Kona Play T Gdi has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
93.2%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 93.2% — a 5.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 22,119 miles — roughly 8K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
87.7%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not clear the windscreen effectively, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 29,946 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.7% pass). That's a 5.6-point spread across 4,875 older tests and 192 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
The Kona offers the choice between two turbocharged, small-displacement petrol engines. A 1.0-litre T-GDI with a 6-speed manual transmission and 120PS as standard and a high-power 1.6-litre T-GDI with 177PS with and Hyundai’s self-developed 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and four-wheel drive.
Where it falls short
For the first time in a Hyundai, the Kona's new head-up display projects relevant driving information directly into the driver’s line of sight. An optional eight-inch infotainment system integrates all navigation, media and connectivity features, supporting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system comes with a seven-year free subscription to LIVE Services, offering updated information in real time: weather, traffic, speed cameras and online searches for points of interest.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Kona Play T Gdi and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
