Kia
64,774 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Sorentos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.6 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
76.0%
Pass-after-fix
3.5%
Fail
19.8%
Avg miles
85,629
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 64,738 tests
Pass rate climbs 12.9 points across the cohorts — newer Sorento examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
74.2%
Fail
21.5%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
92,007 mi
Pass
87.1%
Fail
9.4%
PRS
3.0%
Avg mileage at test
45,739 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 4
Kia Sorento · UK market
2002–2009
2009–2014
2014–2020
2020–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Kia Sorento is a series of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive family SUVs manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2002 through four generations.
MOT data from 44,545 tests puts this car on a 74.0% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 82,589 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.
All models in the line-up, including the Sorento ‘2’, feature LED technology for the headlights and rear combination lights, as well as for the daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights and high mounted brake light. 17-inch alloy wheels and a temporary space saver spare w.
Buyers weighing up a used Sorento should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →
28–38
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A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,664 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
1,652 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,489 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,334 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,316 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,131 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,093 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
916 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
903 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
882 occurrences · 1.4% 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
£228–£530
If every one of this Sorento'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 12.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Kia Sorento has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
87.1%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.1% — a 12.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 45,739 miles — roughly 46K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
74.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, ball joint has excessive play, and less than 1.5 mm thick. Average mileage on test for this band is 92,007 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.2% pass). That's a 12.9-point spread across 55,871 older tests and 8,867 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
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · 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
Item 03 · 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
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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
All models in the line-up, including the Sorento ‘2’, feature LED technology for the headlights and rear combination lights, as well as for the daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights and high mounted brake light. 17-inch alloy wheels and a temporary space saver spare wheel are standard equipment, with roof rails not only boosting the the Sorento visually, but also adding versatility if there is ever a need to carry additional loads. A black front radiator grille is married to wheel arch body mouldings and side sills in the same colour, with all versions featuring front and rear skid plates in silver.
Recall history
The Sorento has 18 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Sorento 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.
