Kia Stonic, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
59,047 Kia Stonics are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 87.8% of initial MOT tests, 15.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Stonic? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Kia Stonic at the MOT
87.8% of 32,809 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Stonic 76th of 575 models. Kia Stonics aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 85%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Kia Stonic tests in 2025.
Where Stonics fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Kia Stonic tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (16.1%), brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (14.1%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7.9%).
The MOT page lists every common Stonic MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Stonic's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.24.2% of Stonic failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.23.5% of Stonic failure items
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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.18.5% of Stonic failure items
Kia Stonics in the UK
59,047 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 279% since the end of 2019.
- Change since 2019
- +279%from 15,584 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2022half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2022 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 8,418
- Declared off the road
- 2940.5% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Kia Stonics since 2017
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2017 | 745 |
| End of 2018 | 7,102 |
| End of 2019 | 15,584 |
| End of 2020 | 20,053 |
| End of 2021 | 25,885 |
| End of 2022 | 31,465 |
| End of 2023 | 39,152 |
| End of 2024 | 46,728 |
| End of 2025 | 55,122 |
| End of June 2026 | 59,047 |
How old they are
Licensed Kia Stonics by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,259 | 8,418 |
| 2024 | 7,810 | 7,982 |
| 2023 | 7,449 | 7,729 |
| 2022 | 5,686 | 6,069 |
| 2021 | 6,008 | 6,203 |
| 2020 | 4,504 | 4,629 |
| 2019 | 8,039 | 8,415 |
| 2018 | 6,652 | 7,067 |
| 2017 | 706 | 751 |
Stonic engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 86% of Kia Stonic MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 7.1%. Petrol accounts for 58% of licensed Stonics and hybrid electric for 38%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 32,809 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Stonics
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 34,332 | 58% |
| Diesel | 2,302 | 4% |
| Hybrid electric | 22,413 | 38% |
Kia Stonic recalls
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 2010 to July 2026 names the Kia Stonic. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Stonic is affected.
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Sep 2023 R/2023/255
The mesh filter inside the tandem pump may block causing insufficient oil supply and a risk of vacuum pump failure. If the pump fails there will be no vacuum assistance and the possibility of increased braking distance when applying the brake pedal
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Remove the mesh filter and check the vacuum pump for damage if damaged replace the pump/drive belt.
Other Kia models
The most-tested Kia models in 2025, against the Stonic's 87.8% MOT pass rate.
Kia Stonic FAQs
How many Kia Stonics are there in the UK?
59,047 Kia Stonics were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 294 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Kia Stonic 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 87.8% first-time pass rate for the Kia Stonic across 32,809 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Kia Stonic had any recalls?
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 2010 to July 2026 names the Kia Stonic. The most recent was published in September 2023. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Kia Stonic?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, visibility and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Kia Stonic'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.
Already found a Stonic?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Kia history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Kia VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.