Are Kia cars reliable? Most and least reliable models revealed
In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here we list the most and least reliable models in the Kia line-up...
Kia is known as a value-for-money brand that's been at the forefront of the drive to pure electric vehicles. It has built up a strong reputation for dependability with all models backed by its comprehensive seven-year warranty.
Overall, Kia has a very good reputation for reliability, with owners reporting that only 20% their cars had any issues in the previous two years. It's also one of the best brands for fixing faults for free: 91% of owners didn't have to contribute to the cost of repairing faults.
Mazda was 11th out of 31 most reliable car brands in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey with a score of 93.4%. Its score and place relative to other brands has slipped a little in the past year, though: in 2023 it was eighth out of 32, with a score of 93.8%.
Models with strong reliability ratings include the Kia Picanto small hatchback and the latest Kia Sportage family SUV. However, the previous Sportage has suffered with some serious issues, particularly in diesel form.
Here we're looking at reliability data for Kia models aged up to five years old. Where models are available in more than one body style, such as hatchback and estate, our data covers all versions. Reliability information for older models is in our most reliable used cars feature.
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Most reliable Kia models
1. Kia Picanto (2017-2024)
Reliability rating 99.3%
- Most common faults: Gearbox/clutch 6%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 100% less than a day
This version of the Kia Picanto may no longer be on sale new, but it’s well worth considering if you're after a bulletproof city car. It's good to drive, practical considering its compact dimensions, and well equipped. The 1.25-litre petrol engine is our pick of the line-up and we'd go for mid-range 2 trim to get useful features, such as air-con and Bluetooth connectivity.
Whichever version you choose, your Picanto should be reliable. Owners told us that a mere 6% of examples aged up to five years old had any issues, and the only area to give any grief was the gearbox/clutch. Kia covered all repair costs, too, and its workshops resolved all problems in a day or less.
2. Kia Niro hybrid/PHEV (2016-2022)
Reliability rating 96.4%
- Most common faults: Non-engine electrics 4%, interior trim 4%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 33% one day or less, 55% more than a week
The 2016-2022 Kia Niro looks rather conventional, so it will appeal to buyers who want to drive a hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) car but don’t want to stand out from the crowd. It's pretty innovative under the skin, though. The hybrid can achieve up to 58.9mpg officially and can run for up to 38 miles on pure electric power.
According to our survey data, only 13% of Niro models had any issues and many of these were minor faults with the trim or electrics that were sorted out at no cost to owners. Remedial work wasn't always that fast though – more than half of the cars we were told about spent more than a week in the workshop.
Used Kia Niro buying guide
3. Kia Sportage (2021-present)
Reliability rating 96.0%
- Most common faults: Sat-nav/infotainment system 7%, bodywork 5%, exhaust 3%, non-engine electrics 3%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 42% one day or less, 42% more than a week
The current Sportage has a lot of rivals in the packed family SUV class, including the closely related Hyundai Tucson, plus the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai, Renault Austral and Seat Ateca. It beats the Tucson on price and driving enjoyment, and it's roomier for passengers and luggage than most competitors.
With a low fault rate of 15%, it's a safe bet if you're after a reliable car, too. The infotainment system was the biggest niggle for owners, followed by bodywork problems. Kia's long warranty covered the cost of all repairs, and many cars were in and out of the dealership in a day or less. However, 42% took more than a week to put right.
Kia Sportage review
4. Kia XCeed (2019-present)
Reliability rating 95.6%
- Most common faults: Bodywork 14%, 12-volt battery 3%, sat-nav/infotainment 3%
- Average repair cost: 67% £0, 33% £51-£200
- Typical time off road: 33% one day or less, 67% more than a week
The XCeed is based on the same underpinnings as the Kia Ceed hatchback, but it's slightly longer and sits higher on the road with chunkier SUV-esque styling. All versions come with plenty of kit and it's practical with a good-sized boot, but the Ceed is more affordable.
Issues with the bodywork were the most common complaint from the 21% of XCeed owners who told us their cars had gone wrong. The good news is that two-thirds of cars were fixed for free, the less good news is that the same proportion were out of action for more than a week.
Kia XCeed review
5. Kia EV6 (2021-present)
Reliability rating 94.9%
- Most common faults: 12-volt battery 6%, non-motor electrics 6%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 19% one day or less, 73% more than a week
The EV6 has some impressive claims: it can charge faster than a Tesla, go further between charges than a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and, as long as you choose the right version, it will out-accelerate a Porsche Taycan 4S. No wonder, then, that we crowned it our Car of the Year in 2022.
It's proving a pretty dependable electric car option, too. Owners told us that only 13% of their EV6s had any problems, most with electrical issues. With all affected cars still under warranty, all remedial work was done for free. The only disappointment for owners is that the majority of cars took more than a week to fix.
Kia EV6 review
6. Kia Ceed (2018-present)
Reliability rating 94.8%
- Most common faults: Engine 10%, gearbox/clutch 5%, interior trim 5%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 25% one day or less, 75% more than a week
On paper, the Kia Ceed looks good, offering a long warranty, competitive pricing and plenty of standard equipment. However, it's outclassed by the best family cars, including the Ford Focus and Seat Leon, which are more rewarding to drive, and the Skoda Octavia and Scala, which are more practical.
Only one in five of the Ceeds we were told about had any difficulties, with the engine causing the most concern. Even though some were outside Kia's seven-year new car warranty, the car maker covered the cost of all necessary repairs. However, putting things right was often slow – three-quarters of affected cars were in the garage for more than seven days.
Kia Ceed review
7. Kia E-Niro (2019-2022)
Reliability rating 94.4%
- Most common faults: Bodywork 5%, non-motor electrics 4%, 12-volt battery 3%, EV battery pack 3%, brakes 3%
- Average repair cost: 82% £0, 6% £751-£1000
- Typical time off road: 56% one day or less, 39% more than a week
The e-Niro is an unassuming-looking model, but it was remarkable when it went on sale because it was one of the first pure electric cars that was reasonably priced and had a long range. The 64kWh battery version achieved 253 miles in What Car's Real Range tests.
It has fewer faults than its replacement, the Niro EV: the e-Niro has a fault rate of 19% compared with the Niro EV's 38%, and e-Niro owners' main concerns were with bodywork flaws. Kia paid for the repairs in 82% of instances, and most owners had bills of less than £200, aside from an unlucky 6% who paid up to £1000. More than half of the affected cars were sorted out in a day or less.
Used Kia e-Niro buying guide
8. Kia Sportage petrol (2016-2021)
Reliability rating 93.4%
- Most common faults: Brakes 10%, bodywork 5%, gearbox/clutch 5%, non-engine electrics 5%, suspension 5%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 17% one day or less, 67% more than a week
The Sportage is an important car in the Kia line-up because it's the brand's top seller, and also one of the UK's most popular SUVs. There were two petrol engine options on pre-2018 models: a 128bhp 1.6-litre unit and a more powerful 174bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. The latter is better at hauling a family and all their luggage around.
If you're after a secondhand Sportage, we'd recommend a petrol version because it has far fewer issues than the diesels: 20% of petrol Sportages went wrong compared with 56% of diesels. Kia took care of the cost of all remedial work on petrol models, but two-thirds of cars with faults were in the workshop for more than a week.
Used Kia Sportage buying guide
9. Kia Sorento (2020-present)
Reliability rating 92.1%
- Most common faults: Non-engine electrics 19%, 12-volt battery 6%, bodywork 6%, engine electrics 6%, interior trim 6%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 25% more than a week
A brilliant seven-seat SUV, the Sorento is hugely practical and well equipped with a massive boot. It comes in hybrid and as a PHEV that can cover up to 34 miles on pure electric power. It's big and boxy, so handling is restrained rather than sporty, but the PHEV will do the 0-62mph sprint in 8.8sec.
Nearly a third (31%) of the Sorentos in our survey went wrong, most suffering electrical issues. Kia paid for all remedial work, and half of the faulty cars were repaired in a day or less, and only 25% took more than a week to put right. All faulty cars could still be driven.
Reliability rating 66.2%
- Most common faults Engine 24%, gearbox/clutch 20%, non-engine electrics 16%, brakes 8%
- Average repair cost: 83% £0, 8% more than £1500
- Typical time off road: 17% less than a day, 51% more than a week
The used Sportage is a strong contender in the used car market because it's attractively styled and inexpensive to buy, and it has a spacious and practical interior. At launch three diesel engine options were available: a 114bhp 1.7-litre (the best seller in the range), and a 2.0-litre with 134bhp or 182bhp. A new 1.6-litre diesel, in 114bhp and 134bhp forms, replaced the 1.7 in 2018, and some diesel models gained 48V mild-hybrid tech to improve fuel efficiency a year later.
Diesels have proved far less dependable than their petrol counterparts: 56% went wrong compared with 20% of petrols. Worryingly, nearly a quarter of problems were with the engine, and 20% were with the gearbox. The majority of faulty cars were out of action for more than a week, and some owners had to pay more than £1500 to get their cars fixed.
Used Kia Sportage buying guide
2. Kia Niro EV (2022-present)
Reliability rating 89.3%
- Most common faults Non-engine electrics 17%, air-con 7%, electric battery pack 7%, interior trim 7%
- Average repair cost: 100% £0
- Typical time off road: 33% one day or less, 57% more than a week
The Niro EV is a fine all-rounder with a practical interior and a comfortable ride. Like its predecessor, the e-Niro, it has an impressive range – you can expect it to cover more than 250 miles in real-world driving before it'll need to be charged up.
However, the e-Niro replacement isn't proving as sturdy as its predecessor: 38% of Niro EVs had a glitch, many with electrical woes. At least Kia covered the cost of all remedial work, but some owners had to be patient because 57% of cars were in the garage for more than seven days.
Kia Niro EV review
Reliability of Kia models aged up to five years old
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
| 1 | 2017-2024 Kia Picanto | 99.3% |
| 2 | 2016-2022 Kia Niro hybrid/PHEV | 96.4% |
| 3 | Kia Sportage (2021-present) | 96.0% |
| 4 | Kia XCeed (2019-present) | 95.6% |
| 5 | Kia EV6 (2021-present) | 94.9% |
| 6 | Kia Ceed (2018-present) | 94.6% |
| 7 | 2019-2022 Kia e-Niro | 94.4% |
| 8 | 2016-2021 Kia Sportage petrol | 93.4% |
| 9 | Kia Sorento (2020-present) | 92.1% |
| 10 | Kia Niro EV (2022-present) | 89.3% |
| 11 | 2016-2021 Kia Sportage diesel | 66.2% |
To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:
Most and least reliable cars overall
Most reliable car brands
Most reliable family cars
Most reliable executive cars
Most reliable luxury cars
Most reliable small SUVs
Most reliable family SUVs
Most reliable large SUVs
Most reliable seven-seaters
Most reliable electric cars
Most reliable electric SUVs
Most reliable sports cars
Most reliable diesel cars
Most reliable petrol cars
Most reliable hybrid cars
How the research was carried out
To compile the What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we asked thousands of car owners to give us the lowdown on how reliable their car had been over the previous 24 months.
First we asked them to tell us if the car had suffered a fault, and, if so, how much each problem had cost to put right and how long it had kept the car off the road. The responses for these two factors were weighted and added up for each make and model, enabling us to create a unique reliability rating for each.
The latest What Car? Reliability Survey contains responses from 29,967 people, giving us enough data to report on 199 models aged up to five years old from 31 different car brands.
About the report author
Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, working on consumer issues for a great deal of that time. After a stint as the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, she also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?. It is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
