Used car guide

2015 Kia RIO: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2015 Kia RIOs, from 11,334 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

11,334MOT tests in 2025
74%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
6,200typical miles a year
2.1×the usual rate for rigid brake pipes

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2015 Kia RIOs than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Rigid brake pipes2.1× usual
    Kia RIO
    5.2% All 2015 cars
    2.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.7%, against 0.3% of all 2015 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.

  • Sub-frame2.4× usual
    Kia RIO
    3.9% All 2015 cars
    1.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0.1% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Side repeaters3.5× usual
    Kia RIO
    2.8% All 2015 cars
    0.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.6%, against 0.5% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

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

  • Steering rack inner joints2× usual
    Kia RIO
    2% All 2015 cars
    1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

Better than most

Coil springs: 0.5% here, against 5.4% of all 2015 cars. Shock absorbers: 0.9% here, against 5.2% of all 2015 cars.

By area

The share of 2015 Kia RIO 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
    31% 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.

  • Suspension
    20% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    14% 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
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    4% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Kia RIO?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20224,657Tyres 15%
20213,649Tyres 23%
20203,392Tyres 27%
20194,853Tyres 28%
20185,718Tyres 30%
20178,022Tyres 31%
20168,810Tyres 32%
201410,800Tyres 33%
20139,587Brakes 34%
20128,599Suspension 38%
20116,386Suspension 53%
20105,435Suspension 57%
20094,180Suspension 57%
20081,662Suspension 61%
2007932Suspension 58%
2006727Suspension 58%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2015 Kia RIOs registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score