Hyundai
4,827 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Kona Premium SE Gdi Hev S As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.8%
Pass-after-fix
2.3%
Fail
7.6%
Avg miles
27,671
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 · 4,827 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Kona Premium SE Gdi Hev S A examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
89.9%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
28,326 mi
Pass
89.3%
Fail
8.2%
PRS
2.2%
Avg mileage at test
22,574 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,549 MOT tests, the Kona Premium Se Gdi Hev S-A returns 91.1% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Tyre tread under the limit and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 21,288, 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
out of 50
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A tyre seriously damaged
76 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
74 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
72 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
62 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
49 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
46 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
37 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
20 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value
19 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Parking brake control missing, defective or inoperative
13 occurrences · 0.3% 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–£425
If every one of this Kona Premium SE Gdi Hev S A'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Hyundai Kona Premium SE Gdi Hev S A makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
89.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.9% — a 0.6-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
89.3%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 89.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, has a cut in excess of the…, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 22,574 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (89.3% pass). That's a 0.6-point spread across 551 older tests and 4,276 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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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 Premium SE Gdi Hev S A 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.
