Kia

Which year Kia Sportage is most reliable?

Based on 289,413 vehicles (1995–2022) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Sportage at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Sportage at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2014–2022
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Sportages
Below model average
1995–2003
Lower pass rate than other Sportages — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1995 →
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Dataset
289,413
vehicles · 1995–2022 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 2008, 2010–2019
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 76.4–88.5% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2022
92.2%
2,635 Recommended
2021
90.3%
16,618 Recommended
2020
88.7%
11,648 Recommended
2019
88.5%
31,612 Recommended
2018
88.2%
33,707 Recommended
2017
87.4%
37,430 Recommended
2016
85.5%
37,863 Recommended
2015
83.2%
21,462 Recommended
2014
83.0%
19,962 Recommended
2013
80.2%
19,216
2012
78.5%
13,836
2011
79.3%
8,704
2010
78.1%
5,399
2009
76.3%
3,844
2008
76.4%
3,031
2007
73.9%
3,698
2006
72.5%
3,986
2005
72.0%
4,582
2003
70.8%
1,529 Below avg
2002
71.3%
796 Below avg
2001
69.2%
1,537 Below avg
2000
67.1%
2,107 Below avg
1999
67.2%
1,169 Below avg
1998
64.9%
648 Below avg
1997
65.5%
1,029 Below avg
1996
65.4%
892 Below avg
1995
63.3%
473 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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