Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 22,687 tests analysed

Kia Niro 2021: reliability & common MOT faults

2,842 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2021 Kia Niro in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Tyres — Condition (rear) and Visibility — Wipers (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Hybrid Niros passed first time 2.6 pp more often than electric ones (88.8% of 10,918 vs 86.2% of 11,766).

First-attempt pass

87.5%

of 22,687 first tests (2025)

First tests

22,687

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,842

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

21.6%

Tyres — Condition (rear)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

87.5%

of 22,687 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

91.0%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

22,687

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 4.0 yrs · median mileage 36,159 mi

vs 2024: -0.8 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Rear 42 ×4.2 1.5% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

On this year, prefer the hybrid. The electric cars passed first time 2.6 pp less often, on 11,766 tests.

Other Niro years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2024 Niro +3.6 pp better 95.7% 1,200
2022 Niro -1.3 pp worse 88.4% 22,596

What to check on a 2021 Niro

The items that failed 2021 Niros most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Tyres — Condition (rear) — recorded on 21.6% of failed first attempts
  • Visibility — Wipers (front) — recorded on 18.1% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (front) — recorded on 11.0% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 5.2% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Hybrid Niros passed first time 2.6 pp more often than electric ones (88.8% of 10,918 vs 86.2% of 11,766). In 2025, 87.5% of 22,687 first MOTs on the 2021 Kia Niro passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 91.0%. Among 2,842 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often th…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2021 Kia Niros most often at the first attempt were Tyres — Condition (rear) (21.6%), Visibility — Wipers (front) (18.1%) and Tread depth (front) (11.0%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table…
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2021 Kia Niro (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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