2018 KIA Niro 1.6L Hybrid electric (clean) · GP18 BEO

A pattern of repeated tyre-related advisories and two dangerous tyre failures in recent years is the defining mechanical concern in this Kia Niro's MOT history, suggesting that tyre condition has not been managed consistently across the vehicle's life. The most recent test on 16 July 2026 was a pass, but the examiner flagged a nearside rear tyre with a cut on the inner sidewall, alongside the note that items had been removed from the driver's view prior to test. Looking back through the recorded tests, near-side and off-side rear tyres were flagged for cracking and perishing at the 2023 test, both rear tyres were reported as worn on the edges and perishing at the 2024 test, and the car failed outright in 2025 with a dangerous nearside front tyre bulge caused by structural separation, having passed earlier the same week. A further dangerous failure was recorded in 2021 for an offside front tyre with exposed ply or cords on the inside edge. With the exception of the 2022, 2021, and 2025 clean passes, every annual test in the recorded history has produced at least one tyre-related advisory, which points to either borderline replacement cycles or alignment geometry that is dragging the tyres unevenly through their life. The vehicle is showing 53,837 miles across roughly eight years of testing, which equates to around 6,700 miles per year on average and is broadly consistent with a privately owned family car rather than a high-mileage fleet or taxi vehicle. The recorded mileage is only available from 2021 onwards, so the gap between new registration and the first test is not visible in the data provided, but the progression from 2021 to 2026 is steady rather than erratic, with no sudden jumps that would indicate long periods off-road followed by a return to heavy use. That said, even at moderate annual mileage the suspension, brakes, and tyres of a hybrid crossover of this age are reaching the point where original bushings, dampers, and brake components are due for close inspection rather than assumption of remaining life. A prospective buyer should treat the tyres as the immediate priority and inspect all four corners physically rather than trusting a visual walk-round from a distance, looking for uneven shoulder wear, cracking in the sidewall grooves, bulges anywhere on the carcass, and any exposed cord on the inside edge that would only be seen by turning the steering fully lock to lock. Because advisories have appeared on both front and rear tyres in different years, including inner-edge wear on the 2021 dangerous failure, it is worth jacking the car and checking for uneven inner-edge wear that could indicate worn suspension bushes, drooping control arm joints, or a tracking issue that has been quietly destroying tyres. On the test drive, listen for clonking or knocking from the front suspension over speed bumps and uneven surfaces, feel for any pulling to one side under braking or steady acceleration, and check for vibration through the steering wheel that might suggest a deformed tyre or a wheel that has taken a recent impact. Beyond the tyres, the rest of the recorded history is unremarkable, with no advisories relating to braking components, brake pipes, suspension arms, coil springs, exhaust integrity, corrosion of structural or under-body areas, lights, or emissions across any of the seven tests listed. That is encouraging but should be confirmed in person, as MOT records only capture what was visible from the test bay on the day. Before purchase, confirm that the advisory items from the 2026 test have been resolved, verify the age and DOT date stamps of all four fitted tyres, check that a full-size spare or inflation kit is present and in date, and have the under-body and inner arches inspected on a ramp for any surface corrosion that has not yet reached the examiner's threshold. A diagnostic read of the hybrid system and a brake fluid sample for moisture content would also be prudent given the car's age and mid-life mileage, even though neither has featured in the MOT record to date.