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What to check: Kia Sportage

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Ranked across all years of the Kia Sportage, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 6.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Handbrake holdRuns high on this modelStop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 1.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

LeaksLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

A binding brakeAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 1.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Warning lights on ignitionTurn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 0.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 27.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsRuns high on this modelLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 19.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 1.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Pull away gently from a stop, ideally on a slight incline, and feel for any shudder through the car.A judder or vibration on take-off, worse on DCT automatics, points to the dual-clutch judder fault.

Check for a DPF, EGR or engine warning light, and ask how the car is normally used.A diesel that's done mostly short trips is far more likely to have a clogged DPF or EGR valve.

Start the engine from stone cold if you can and listen for a second or two of rattling from the front of the engine.A brief rattle that clears as the engine picks up oil pressure suggests the timing chain tensioner is on its way out.

Drive slowly over a speed bump or rough patch and listen for knocks or creaks from the front end.Noise here usually means worn anti-roll bar links, bushes or strut top mounts, the class's most common wear item.

Watch the dash for the stop-start light and see if it engages at idle during the test drive.If it won't engage, ask when the battery was last changed; it may just need a reset, but it can also mean a tired battery.

Enter the registration on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker before you view the car.Confirms whether the vacuum pump / brake booster recall applies and whether the work has already been done.

Read through the full MOT history online, not just the pass/fail line.Repeated suspension advisories on the same corner mean a wear item is being patched rather than fixed.

Full Kia Sportage reliability report