MOT fail rates by first-use year

2009 Kia Sportage MOT fail rate and common faults

How Kia Sportage cars first used in 2009 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 9,787 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 16 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 16 (n=1,845)44.1%

All cars at 16 years (n=4,858,625)42.6%

Difference+1.6 pts

MOT tests of 2009 cars, 2022 to 20259,787

What stands out

In 2025, at 16 years old, Kia Sportage cars first used in 2009 failed 44.1% of MOTs (1,845 tests), 1.6 points above the 42.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 13 to 16 years old, the fail rate moved from 42.0% to 44.1%.
Kia Sportage cars first used a year earlier, in 2008, failed 46.0% at the same age of 16 years (1,462 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Kia Sportage at 16 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 5.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.2).

MOT fail rate by test year

Kia Sportage cars first used in 2009: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	13 years	42.0%	2,999	38.3%	+3.7 pts
2023	14 years	44.7%	2,675	40.3%	+4.5 pts
2024	15 years	48.4%	2,268	41.6%	+6.8 pts
2025	16 years	44.1%	1,845	42.6%	+1.6 pts

Most common faults at 16 years

These figures cover all Kia Sportage MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,959). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Side/position light not working Wear	8.5	5.9
Suspension arm bush worn	5.7	2.2
Brake light not working Wear	5.5	4.0
Suspension ball joint worn	4.7	2.5
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	4.3	1.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	4.0	3.1
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	3.8	1.5
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	3.3	2.6
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.0	1.8
Service brake performance: excessively binding	2.9	1.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=6,959). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	21.5	18.2
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	17.1	11.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	16.5	8.7
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.1	10.7
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	11.6	4.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	10.4	5.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.5	6.8
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	7.3	5.3
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	7.2	9.5
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	5.2	8.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=6,959). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 16 years

These figures cover all Kia Sportage MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,959). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	67.7%	46.4%	4,703	42.8%	110,094 miles
Petrol	32.3%	49.1%	2,248	42.6%	99,738 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 16 years

These figures cover all Kia Sportage MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,959). At 16 years, Kia Sportage cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (53.3%, n=1,728) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (42.9%, n=1,525). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	42.9%	1,525	41.4%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	48.9%	2,626	45.9%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	53.3%	1,728	46.8%

Car tax rules for a 2009 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2009 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Kia Sportage

2008 Kia Sportage 2010 Kia Sportage

Other Kia models first used in 2009

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Kia Picanto (2009)	16 years in 2025	45.7%	11,838	42.6%
Kia Ceed (2009)	16 years in 2025	47.9%	6,108	42.6%
Kia Rio (2009)	16 years in 2025	45.5%	4,193	42.6%
Kia Soul (2009)	16 years in 2025	48.0%	1,922	42.6%
Kia Sorento (2009)	16 years in 2025	45.0%	1,050	42.6%
Kia Carens (2009)	15 years in 2024	49.8%	1,071	41.6%

More on the Kia Sportage

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2009 Kia Sportage cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.