Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 46,148 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Kona examples track each other at the test bay.

Pre-2018 cohort 4,652

Pass

89.3%

Fail

8.4%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

42,646 mi

2018–2020 cohort 30,399

Pass

88.6%

Fail

8.1%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

35,813 mi

2021+ cohort 11,097

Pass

88.6%

Fail

6.7%

PRS

4.4%

Avg mileage at test

30,523 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 2

Hyundai Kona · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Hyundai Kona: solid MOT record across 22,055 tests

The Hyundai Kona is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. The first-generation Kona debuted in June 2017 and the production version was revealed later that year.

MOT data from 22,055 tests puts this car on an 89.7% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 29,781 miles. The most common fail item is defective wiper blade, followed by inoperative wiper blade.

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 fo.

For used buyers, the Kona's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 12–24

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

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

686 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

657 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
03

Wiper blade defective

634 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

579 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
05

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

426 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
06

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

416 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

A tyre cords visible or damaged

326 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

88 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
09

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

83 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
10

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

79 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'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Hyundai Kona makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

89.3%

Pre-2018 registration

the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 89.3% — a 0.7-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, 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.

Band to be cautious about

88.6%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 88.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 30,523 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: pre-2018 (89.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (88.6% pass). That's a 0.7-point spread across 11,097 older tests and 4,652 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

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 02 · 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 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

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Sleek Silver Metallic 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Polar White 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Electric Red 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Hyundai Creamy White 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

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

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.

Recall history

3 UK recalls on record.

The Kona has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Kona?

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 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.