Used car guide · 2001–2023

Kia RIO common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Kia RIO, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 294,274 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

294,274MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
102,821on the UK register
3known faults across all years
2017best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

20232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001

What usually goes wrong with a Kia RIO?

Known faults reported by owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Most apply to certain years or engines only, so check which the car has.

  • Child lock recall (built Apr to June 2017)

    Cars registered in 2017 · Built mid-2017

    On some cars built 10 April to 5 June 2017 the rear child locks might not work because a cable was the wrong length.

    At the viewing: Try the child locks and ask a Kia dealer whether the recall was done.

    Source: What Car?: used Kia Rio (2017 on) reliability

  • Dashboard rattles

    Cars registered 2011–2016 · All engines

    Dashboard rattles can be bad, and fixing them can mean taking the dashboard out.

    At the viewing: Drive on a rough road and listen.

    Source: Auto Express: used Kia Rio (Mk3, 2011-2016) review

  • Stop-start, hill hold and ESP faults

    Cars registered 2011–2016 · All engines

    The stop-start can work erratically, and some owners have had problems with hill hold and ESP.

    At the viewing: Watch stop-start at junctions, and check that hill hold holds on a slope.

    Source: Auto Express: used Kia Rio (Mk3, 2011-2016) review

Common Kia RIO MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Sub-frame

    up to 2.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    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.

  • Track rod ends

    up to 16.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021.

    Rough price £50–£150 (one end, plus about £30–£50 if it needs a wheel alignment) ClickMechanic

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

  • Braking performance

    up to 2.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2016.

    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 pipes

    up to 2.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.

    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.

  • Wipers

    up to 2.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

  • Ball joint dust cover

    up to 5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

Kia RIO MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2017 Kia RIO did best (83% passed first time, 3 points above all 2017 cars) and the 2011 did worst (55%, 7 points below all 2011 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202395%92% +3205 (small sample)
202291%89% +24,889
202189%87% +27,219
202088%87% +110,019
201985%85% +014,358
201885%83% +216,943
201783%80% +323,978
201678%77% +126,231
201576%74% +233,792
201467%70% -332,699
201362%67% -529,473
201260%64% -426,746
201155%62% -720,317
201056%60% -417,923
200955%59% -414,107
200851%57% -65,967
200751%57% -63,499
200651%56% -52,776
200551%57% -61,507
200451%57% -6860
200350%57% -7486 (small sample)
200249%58% -9280 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Kia RIO

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the sub-frame? (Flagged at MOT 2.7× as often on the Kia RIO as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the track rod ends? (Flagged at MOT 16.5× as often on the Kia RIO as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the braking performance? (Flagged at MOT 2.3× as often on the Kia RIO as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Kia RIO?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score