2018 KIA Sportage 1.6L Diesel · YN68 YTO

A persistent wear issue at the offside rear tyre is the defining mechanical thread running through this Sportage's MOT record, and it is the only area where the car has actually failed. The offside rear tyre was flagged as worn close to the legal limit in 2023 and again in 2024, deteriorated to an advisory plus a wiper non-clearance failure in August 2024, and then dropped below the 1.6mm minimum on 25 August 2025, which was recorded as a Dangerous defect. The vehicle was presented again the following day and passed with no defects, indicating the tyre was replaced in the interim. The latest test on 18 May 2026 recorded a clean pass with no advisories, so the immediate tyre safety concern has been resolved, but the recurring offside rear wear pattern across four consecutive annual tests suggests either a tracking or camber issue at the rear axle, or a habitual loading bias that is consistently wearing that corner faster than the others. With 63,126 miles recorded over roughly eight years, annual usage of around 7,900 miles is broadly typical for the age and class, and there are no significant gaps in the testing history or sudden jumps in odometer readings between annual tests. Mileage progression appears steady, with no evidence of extended standing periods that would raise concerns about brake seizure, corrosion under the car, or stale drivetrain fluids. Routine mechanical wear items such as brake pads, discs, tyres, and auxiliary drive components should have been exercised at a moderate cadence, which is a neutral rather than positive factor when judging remaining service life. The trailing arm bushes at the rear suspension were noted as worn but not yet resulting in excessive movement at the 2023 test, and although they have not been flagged since, this is a common ageing item on a Sportage of this generation and tends to progress gradually. On a test drive, listen for clonking or knocking noises from the rear suspension over uneven roads, speed humps, and undulating tarmac, particularly over bumps taken at low speed. Have someone watch the offside rear wheel from behind while the car is rocked fore and aft by hand to check for any vertical play at the trailing arm mounting. A knock that is more pronounced over broken surfaces than smooth ones, or any shimmy through the seat back, would suggest the bushes have moved past the advisory stage. The offside rear tyre's repeated one-sided wear should be investigated regardless of the clean 2026 result, because a new tyre fitted onto a misaligned rear axle will simply wear out the same way. Ask for a printout of the four-wheel alignment, or budget for one to be carried out before any new tyres are fitted, and check the shoulder pattern of the current set for feathering or inner-edge scalloping. The nearside front wiper was also a failure item in 2024; on inspection, verify that both wiper blades clear the screen fully with no smearing bands in heavy rain, and that the wiper linkage has no play. Given the relatively modest mileage and the single component area of concern, the mechanical outlook is mixed: the car's overall roadworthiness record is stable, but the rear axle alignment and trailing arm bushes merit focused scrutiny before purchase.