UK vehicle statistics / KIA

How many KIA RIO cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 97,333 licensed and 4,452 SORN vehicles in the UK within the KIA RIO generic-model group.

Looking at a RIO?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular RIO is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the RIO disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 107,996 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 97,333 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. That is down 7% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,452 are declared SORN — 1 in 23 of the 101,785 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

RIO MOT pass rate

In 2024, 68.1% of 89,350 KIA RIO MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 86.5% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 51.7% aged 15–30 years.

  • Suspension Arms — 5.3% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Brake Performance — 4.5% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Steering Linkage Components — 4.3% of tests. Worn track rod ends or joints. Affects steering and tyre wear, and is a normal age-related repair.
  • Condition — 3.8% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the KIA RIO MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Suspension Arms — 5.3% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Brake Performance — 4.5% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Steering Linkage Components — 4.3% of tests in 2024. Worn track rod ends or joints. Affects steering and tyre wear, and is a normal age-related repair.
  • Condition — 3.8% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Check the actual RIO — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q197,3334,452
2025 Q498,7364,295
2025 Q399,4804,179
2025 Q2100,6304,087
2025 Q1101,7884,068
2024 Q4103,0133,894
2024 Q3103,8703,671
2024 Q2104,7003,649
2024 Q1105,6973,622
2023 Q4106,8953,441
2023 Q3107,5293,366
2023 Q2107,9963,273
2023 Q1107,8813,244
2022 Q4107,2683,253
2022 Q3106,9303,150
2022 Q2106,6783,079
2022 Q1106,6683,019
2021 Q4106,1123,005
2021 Q3105,7822,949
2021 Q2105,4462,954
2021 Q1105,1633,003
2020 Q4105,1972,881
2020 Q3105,1992,756
2020 Q2104,9272,754
2020 Q1105,0302,705
2019 Q4105,4632,388
2019 Q3105,0752,312
2019 Q2104,5712,195
2019 Q1104,1542,117
2018 Q4103,6932,044
2018 Q3103,1031,981
2018 Q2102,1671,986
2018 Q1102,0222,093
2017 Q4101,3732,118
2017 Q3100,8261,973
2017 Q299,6011,855
2017 Q198,9561,827
2016 Q496,9311,793
2016 Q395,8211,678
2016 Q293,6391,622
2016 Q192,1731,543
2015 Q490,3971,557
2015 Q389,1991,415
2015 Q286,8121,326
2015 Q185,0371,100
2014 Q482,4271,020
2014 Q381,602846

Other KIA models

See how many of every KIA model are left

Common questions

How many KIA RIO cars are left in the UK?

97,333 were licensed and 4,452 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many KIA RIO cars are SORN?

4,452 are declared SORN — 1 in 23 of the 101,785 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the RIO disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 107,996 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 97,333 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. That is down 7% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,452 are declared SORN — 1 in 23 of the 101,785 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the KIA RIO MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 68.1% of 89,350 KIA RIO MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the RIO fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are suspension arms (5.3% of tests), brake performance (4.5% of tests), steering linkage components (4.3% of tests).

Does this say whether one RIO is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.