86.3%
Hyundai Kona pass rate
Used Hyundai Kona buying guide
In 2025, Hyundai Kona cars passed 86.3% of 62,765 initial MOT tests, 14 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Kona? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Hyundai Kona MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+14
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Kona sits 102nd of 575 models in the data. Hyundai as a brand averaged 73.9%, so this model runs 12.3 points ahead of its own brand. Hyundai Kona cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 85.6%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Hyundai Kona MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Kona compares with similar cars.
Kona fuel types
Hybrid electric was the most common fuel among Hyundai Kona cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 0.1% of tests.
Where the Kona fails its MOT
Where Hyundai Kona cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (15.2%), headlamp aim too high (12.4%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (11.6%). See every common Kona MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Hyundai Kona that failed, not a claim that every Kona has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Kona?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 34.6% of Kona failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 22.3% of Kona failure items.
3
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 19.2% of Kona failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 13.3% of Kona failure items.
5
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 5.1% of Kona failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
Kona vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Hyundai Kona failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Kona you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Hyundai history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Hyundai models
The most-tested Hyundai models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Kona.
Used Hyundai Kona FAQs
Is the Hyundai Kona reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 86.3% first-time pass rate for the Hyundai Kona across 62,765 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Hyundai Kona cars fail their MOT more often?
Hyundai Kona cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 85.6%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Hyundai Kona?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Hyundai Kona's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.