Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 7,787 tests analysed

Kia Rio 2017: reliability & common MOT faults

1,468 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2017 Kia Rio in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Tyres — Condition (front) and Brake pads (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Rios passed first time 5.3 pp more often than diesel ones (82.1% of 6,331 vs 76.9% of 1,456).

First-attempt pass

81.1%

of 7,787 first tests (2025)

First tests

7,787

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

1,468

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

12.6%

Tyres — Condition (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

81.1%

of 7,787 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

85.0%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

7,787

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 8.0 yrs · median mileage 51,428 mi

vs 2024: -1.2 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.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 1,467 of 1,468 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Side repeaters — 3.3% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 48 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 2.6× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Side repeaters
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Side repeaters
 Any 48 ×2.6 3.3% Possible
Headlamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamps > Headlamp
 Front 87 ×2.4 5.9% Possible
Visibility — Washers (front)
Visibility > Washers
 Front 86 ×2.2 5.9% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

If you are buying one

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

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 5.3 pp less often, on 1,456 tests.

Other Rio 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
2015 Rio +3.0 pp better 73.9% 10,904
2018 Rio +2.2 pp better 84.7% 5,571
2014 Rio -1.8 pp worse 65.6% 10,368

What to check on a 2017 Rio

The items that failed 2017 Rios 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 (front) — recorded on 12.6% of failed first attempts
  • Brake pads (front) — recorded on 8.2% of failed first attempts
  • Visibility — Washers — recorded on 7.7% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (front) — recorded on 7.4% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp (front) — recorded on 5.9% 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.

Petrol Rios passed first time 5.3 pp more often than diesel ones (82.1% of 6,331 vs 76.9% of 1,456). In 2025, 81.1% of 7,787 first MOTs on the 2017 Kia Rio passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 85.0%. Among 1,468 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Side repeaters appears more often than on similar cars (3.3% of tho…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2017 Kia Rios most often at the first attempt were Tyres — Condition (front) (12.6%), Brake pads (front) (8.2%) and Visibility — Washers (7.7%) — 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 answers.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Side repeaters (3.3% of those tests; 48 observed failures; about 2.6× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Side repeaters shows up more often than on similar cars (3.3% of those tests; 48 observed failures; about 2.6× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2017 Kia Rio include Side repeaters, Headlamp (front), Visibility — Washers (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2017 Kia Rio (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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