Kia Sportage Car CheckFull history check, MOT history and common problems
Free Kia Sportage vehicle check by reg: MOT history, mileage and tax. Buying one? The full car history check shows outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers, keepers and plate changes.
- 80% MOT pass rate
- 2,978 Sportages checked
Kia Sportage reg check
Full Kia Sportage history check from £3.99
The MOT record is free, and it only shows the car's condition on test day. What a seller may not mention is in the full Kia Sportage car check:
- Outstanding finance: lender and agreement
- Insurance write-off: Cat S, N, C or D
- Police stolen marker
- High risk register
- Previous keepers and last change
- Plate and colour changes
- Scrapped, imported or exported
- Mileage anomaly check
£3.99 a report in the 5-report bundle, £11.99 for a single report; unused reports never expire. Shown on screen straight away and sent by email. No subscription. Start with the free check: you only pay for the full report.
Free Kia Sportage MOT History and Mileage Data
What the MOT records of 2,078 Kia Sportage vehicles show. The full check above covers what the MOT doesn't.
- 80%of MOT tests passedUK average 77%
- 8,100typical miles a year
- 1.3%have a mileage anomalyan MOT reading lower than an earlier one
- 15,502MOT tests analysed
- 2014–2019built (middle half)
- 54%diesel; 35% petrol; 11% hybrid electric (clean)
Kia Sportage common problems: most common MOT failures and advisories
The defects MOT testers record most often on the Kia Sportage, as a share of all its MOT tests (the same defect on any wheel or side counts once): the Sportage's known weak points. Check these on the car you're viewing, or on your own before its next MOT.
Top 16 Kia Sportage MOT failures
Reasons the car failed its MOT.
- Brake pad less than 1.5 mm thick2.9%
- Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively2.3%
- Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.3%
- Parking brake efficiency below requirements1.4%
- Coil spring fractured or broken1.0%
- Headlamp aim too high1.0%
- Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid0.8%
- Headlamp aim too low0.7%
- Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn0.7%
- Track rod end ball joint has excessive play0.7%
Show all 16
- Headlamp not working on dipped beam0.6%
- Parking brake inoperative on one side0.6%
- Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords0.6%
- Position lamp not working0.5%
- Tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative0.5%
- Service brake excessively binding0.5%
Top 20 Kia Sportage MOT advisories
Wear the tester noted: not a failure yet, but money to budget for.
- Brake pad wearing thin11.2%
- Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge10.8%
- Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened6.1%
- Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing4.1%
- Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4.1%
- Nail in tyre2.2%
- Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources1.9%
- Brake disc worn, but not excessively1.8%
- Tyre worn close to the legal limit1.8%
- Oil leak, but not excessive1.7%
Show all 20
- Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement1.4%
- Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view1.2%
- Suspension arm ball joint has slight play1.1%
- Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread1.1%
- Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt0.9%
- Service brake binding but not excessively0.9%
- Windscreen wiper blade defective0.9%
- Items removed from driver's view prior to test0.8%
- Track rod end ball joint has slight play0.8%
- Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened0.7%
- Brakes: 33% of failed tests
- Lights and indicators: 26% of failed tests
- Suspension: 25% of failed tests
- Tyres: 24% of failed tests
- Windscreen and wipers: 20% of failed tests
- Tyres advisory: 27% of tests
- Brakes advisory: 23% of tests
- Suspension advisory: 10% of tests
Based on the DVSA MOT histories of all 2,078 Kia Sportage vehicles with an MOT checked on CarCheckUp since March 2023 (15,502 tests, retests included). Updated 2 October 2026. Every MOT test and advisory for one car is in the free MOT history check, and our free mileage check flags a lower reading. Market-wide figures: UK Used Car Risk Report. How we calculate these figures. MOT and DVLA data: contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Kia Sportage versions
Every Kia Sportage version checked on CarCheckUp counts on this page, grouped by the word after "Sportage" in the DVLA record. Pass rates where at least 300 vehicles were checked.
| Version | Vehicles | MOT pass rate | Top failure area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sportage (no version recorded) | 1,790 | 80% | Brakes |
Sportage GT-Line
|
83 | – | – |
Sportage 2
|
78 | – | – |
Sportage 3
|
41 | – | – |
Sportage GT-LN
|
32 | – | – |
Sportage 4
|
18 | – | – |
Sportage Gtln
|
17 | – | – |
Key history checks before buying a used Kia Sportage
All of these are in every full report, with 150+ more data points.
Outstanding finance
A Kia on hire purchase, PCP or a logbook loan may still belong to the lender. Buying it can lead to a dispute over who owns it. Outstanding finance check
Insurance write-off (Cat S, N, C, D)
Shows if an insurer declared the car a total loss. Cat S and N cars can return to the road, but the record lowers the value and can affect insurance. Write-off check
Police stolen marker
Checks the Police National Computer. A stolen car can be taken back, leaving you without the car or your money. Stolen car check
High risk register
Shows if a finance company, insurer or the police has registered an interest in the Sportage. Find out why before you buy.
Mileage anomaly check & MOT history
Free: every MOT mileage reading compared for drops, with advisories and failures. Free mileage check
Previous keepers & plate changes
How many keepers the car has had and when, plus number plate changes that can separate a car from its history. Previous owners check
More free and full vehicle checks for a Kia Sportage
Full Kia Sportage car check from £3.99 a report
Finance, write-off, stolen, keepers, plate changes and 150+ data points on the Kia Sportage you're looking at. The MOT history and mileage come free.
Check a Sportage by reg → See a sample reportKia Sportage MOT questions
Is a Kia Sportage car check free?
The MOT history, mileage anomaly check, tax and DVLA details of any Kia Sportage are free. The full car history check (finance, write-off, stolen, keepers and 150+ data points) is paid, from £3.99 a report.
What is the most common MOT failure on the Kia Sportage?
Brake pad less than 1.5 mm thick: found at 2.9% of the Kia Sportage MOT tests we analysed. By area, brakes items appear in 33% of failed tests.
What is the Kia Sportage MOT pass rate?
80% of 15,502 MOT tests on 2,078 Kia Sportage vehicles checked on CarCheckUp were passed (retests included). The UK average across all vehicles we checked is 77%.
What are the common problems with the Kia Sportage?
Going by its MOT records, the Kia Sportage's most common failures are brake pad less than 1.5 mm thick (2.9% of tests); windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (2.3% of tests); tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (2.3% of tests). The full list of the top 20 MOT failures and advisories is on this page.
What is the most common MOT advisory on the Kia Sportage?
Brake pad wearing thin: noted at 11.2% of tests. An advisory is not a failure, but it is wear to budget for.
How many miles a year is a Kia Sportage typically driven?
About 8,100 miles a year (the median, from MOT mileage readings). 1.3% have a mileage anomaly: an MOT reading lower than an earlier one.