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Hyundai vs Kia Reliability

In our inspections, Hyundai’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 142k miles, versus 124k for Kia.

Based on 238 Hyundais and 149 Kias. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
HyundaiKia
Cars inspected238149
Average condition68/10070/100
In good shape (60+/100)69%70%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~142k mi~124k mi
Repainted or replaced panel71%68%
Structural repair found5%1%
Fault codes recently cleared22%23%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Hyundai
Excellent 32% Good 37% Mediocre 22% Poor 9%
Kia
Excellent 43% Good 27% Mediocre 19% Poor 11%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Hyundai▬ Kia▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Hyundai, 0–20k mi: 99%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars in this band)Hyundai, 20–40k mi: 95% in good shape (37 cars)Hyundai, 40–60k mi: 56% in good shape (32 cars)Hyundai, 60–80k mi: 87% in good shape (31 cars)Hyundai, 80–100k mi: 71% in good shape (35 cars)Hyundai, 100–120k mi: 66% in good shape (38 cars)Hyundai, 120–140k mi: 40% in good shape (20 cars)Hyundai, 140–160k mi: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Hyundai, 160–180k mi: 40% in good shape (5 cars) Kia, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (12 cars)Kia, 20–40k mi: 89% in good shape (28 cars)Kia, 40–60k mi: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars in this band)Kia, 60–80k mi: 70% in good shape (27 cars)Kia, 80–100k mi: 58% in good shape (24 cars)Kia, 100–120k mi: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars in this band)Kia, 120–140k mi: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band)Kia, 140–160k mi: 34%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band)Kia, 160–180k mi: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Hyundai▬ Kia▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Hyundai, 1 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Hyundai, 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)Hyundai, 3 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)Hyundai, 4 years old: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Hyundai, 5 years old: 81% in good shape (21 cars)Hyundai, 6 years old: 68% in good shape (25 cars)Hyundai, 7 years old: 85% in good shape (20 cars)Hyundai, 8 years old: 54% in good shape (26 cars)Hyundai, 9 years old: 68% in good shape (25 cars)Hyundai, 10 years old: 54%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Hyundai, 11 years old: 36%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Hyundai, 12 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)Hyundai, 13 years old: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age) Kia, 1 years old: 96%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Kia, 2 years old: 94% in good shape (17 cars)Kia, 3 years old: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Kia, 4 years old: 78% in good shape (9 cars)Kia, 5 years old: 68%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 6 years old: 60%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 7 years old: 57%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Kia, 8 years old: 59%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 9 years old: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 10 years old: 54%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Kia, 11 years old: 73%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Hyundai
Oil leaks · Engine
48%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
39%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
18%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
17%
Kia
Oil leaks · Engine
44%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
33%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
32%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
21%
Lights not working · Equipment
16%
Trajectory by generation
Hyundai ▲ Newer Hyundais are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 33 cars, raw 55%) 56 2015–17: 79% in good shape (age-adjusted; 44 cars, raw 77%) 79 2018–20: 65% in good shape (age-adjusted; 33 cars, raw 70%) 65 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Kia

Not enough Kias at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Hyundai or Kia?
In our inspections, Hyundai’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 142k miles, versus 124k for Kia.
?
What are the most common problems with used Hyundais and Kias?
On Hyundais we flag oil leaks (48%), fuel trim out of range (39%), tires condition & wear (36%). On Kias: oil leaks (44%), tires condition & wear (33%), fuel trim out of range (32%).
?
How many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have you inspected?
238 Hyundais and 149 Kias — 387 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 11, 2026.
?
How long do Hyundai and Kia stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Hyundai dips below it around 142k mi; Kia around 124k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Hyundai or Kia? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 387 inspections · updated Nov 11, 2026