Used car guide

2017 Kia Optima: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 Kia Optimas, from 3,232 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

3,232MOT tests in 2025
81%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
10,300typical miles a year
null×the usual rate for electronic parking brake

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 Kia Optimas than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Electronic parking brakenull× usual
    Kia Optima
    2.4% All 2017 cars
    0%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.8%, against 0% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£300 our estimate

    At the viewing: Pull the handbrake on a slope. It should hold the car within a few clicks.

  • Number plates2.2× usual
    Kia Optima
    3.9% All 2017 cars
    1.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.2% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

  • Braking performance2.1× usual
    Kia Optima
    3.8% All 2017 cars
    1.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.1%, against 0.6% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a quiet road, brake firmly from about 30mph. The car should stop straight without pulling.

  • Rigid brake pipes2.2× usual
    Kia Optima
    2.9% All 2017 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.4%, against 0.2% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 1.4% here, against 4.8% of all 2017 cars.

By area

The share of 2017 Kia Optima MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    32% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    28% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    7% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    6% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    3% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Looking at a Kia Optima?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20191,677Tyres 30%
20182,637Tyres 30%
20161,235Tyres 30%
2015590Tyres 32%
2014556Tyres 35%
2012581Suspension 48%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 Kia Optimas registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score