2017 KIA Sportage 1.6L Petrol · NL17 RKZ

The 2017 Kia Sportage presents a mixed but broadly stable maintenance trend, though the most recent MOT on 21 June 2025 at 60,512 miles flagged rear brake discs as worn, pitted or scored, albeit not seriously weakened. This advisory, recorded just over twelve months ago, suggests the vehicle has been driven with deteriorating rear braking surfaces for some time. The pattern across the record shows recurring minor advisories rather than escalating failures, indicating a vehicle that has passed its annual tests but not always in peak mechanical condition. The mileage accumulation is consistent and unremarkable for a nine-year-old SUV, averaging roughly 6,724 miles per year. Between the failed test on 26 March 2022 at 41,220 miles and the April 2023 pass at 49,088 miles, the vehicle covered 7,868 miles in just over twelve months. From April 2023 to May 2024 it added 11,037 miles, then slowed dramatically to only 387 miles in the thirteen months leading to the June 2025 test. That final period of minimal use raises the question of prolonged sitting, which can cause brake disc surface corrosion, tyre flat-spotting, and dried-out rubber components. Buyers should focus their in-person inspection on the braking system first and foremost. The March 2022 failure identified front brake pads below 1.5mm on the offside and wearing thin on the nearside, with both front discs flagged as worn and pitted. The June 2025 advisory then shifted to rear disc wear, suggesting the rear set may now be the weaker point. Check both front and rear disc thicknesses and look for lipping, scoring, or heat cracking. Inspect pad remaining material on all four corners, paying particular attention to uneven wear that could point to a sticking caliper or seized slide pin. Tyre condition has been a recurring theme. The March 2022 test flagged both rear tyres for cracking and perishing, with a nail in the nearside rear, and the subsequent tests in 2023 and 2024 each noted front tyres worn to the legal limit or on the edge. This pattern suggests the previous owner replaced tyres reactively rather than proactively. Examine all four tyres for sidewall cracking, especially if the vehicle has stood idle, and check the spare if fitted. Inspect suspension bushes, drop links, and anti-roll bar links for play, as vehicles covering uneven annual mileages can suffer from component fatigue that MOT records only partially reveal.