Hyundai Kona vs Volkswagen T-Roc: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Volkswagen T-Roc is the more reliable used buy: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 3.2 percentage points ahead of the Hyundai Kona on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 15,624 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Hyundai Kona

Pass rate90.3%

Age-matched national89.1%

Difference+1.3

Tests6,358

Volkswagen T-Roc

Pass rate92.9%

Age-matched national88.4%

Difference+4.5

Tests9,266

Model	Pass rate	Age-matched national	Difference	Tests
Hyundai Kona	90.3%	89.1%	+1.3	6,358
Volkswagen T-Roc	92.9%	88.4%	+4.5	9,266

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Hyundai Konas registered 2018–2022 and Volkswagen T-Rocs registered 2018–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Hyundai Kona

OS 2017–2023 and SX2 2023–on · small crossover SUV, sold as petrol, hybrid and electric

The Hyundai Kona’s risk depends on the powertrain more than the year. On the first-generation Kona Electric DVSA lists three battery recalls, the newest (R/2026/128) covering cars built January 2018 to July 2023, so check the recall record before you buy. Across the Kona range (DVSA’s MOT table does not split by fuel) the Kona passes the MOT level with or above cars of the same age. Hyundai UK gives new cars five years with no mileage limit, and eight years or 100,000 miles on the high-voltage battery.

What goes wrong

Safety recall R/2026/128recall
Some vehicles fitted with a high voltage battery may have internal cell voltage deviation
25,056 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 24 January 2018 and 15 July 2023
Large recall — 25,056 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Safety recall R/2020/382recall
If an abnormality is registered within the ieb system that may illuminate the malfunction indicator lamp on the vehicle cluster braking performance may be reduced
12,835 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 24 January 2018 and 18 November 2020
Large recall — 12,835 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Electrics — warning lights and battery-related faults (Kona Electric)moderate
What Car? readers reported faulty warning lights and battery-related problems on the Kona Electric, with some cars off the road for a long time because parts were slow to arrive. Feedback on dealer service was mixed.
2018–2023 Kona Electric
Check: Start the car and wait for the self-test: no warning light should stay on. Ask for the invoices for any electrical or battery work and which software updates a dealer has applied, and charge it fully once on the seller’s charger before you agree a price.
Cover — five-year unlimited-mileage warranty and eight-year battery coverminor
Not a fault. Hyundai UK states a five-year unlimited-mileage warranty on new cars, eight years or 100,000 miles on the high-voltage batteries of the Kona Electric and Hybrid, and covers the 48-volt battery of a mild-hybrid car under the five-year warranty.
All, counted from first registration
Check: Hyundai states plainly that "an invalidated warranty cannot be revalidated by transfer of the vehicle". A gap in servicing before you bought the car cannot be cured by the sale, so the service history matters more here than the age does — and because the mileage is unlimited, the history is effectively the only thing that can have ended the cover early. Work out the end date from the registration date on the V5C rather than from the model year, and ask a Hyundai dealer to confirm what remains for the VIN.

Typical asking price:: not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:: What Car? recorded 250 miles or more of real-world range from the 64 kWh Kona Electric (its October 2025 update); we have no sourced real-world figure for the petrol or hybrid versions, whose official figures depend on the engine.
Vehicle tax:: £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Electric versions: one first registered from 1 April 2025 pays the £440/year supplement in years 2–6 only if it listed at over £50,000 new; one registered before then never does, whatever it cost.
Best years:: 2021, 2022

Used Hyundai Konas for sale Full Kona fault guide Used Hyundais

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Volkswagen T-Roc

first generation 2017–2026 · small crossover SUV

The Volkswagen T-Roc passes the MOT above the average for its age in every registration year with enough tests (2018–2022), and DVSA lists no recall of 10,000 or more vehicles: the largest, R/2022/074 (engine covers that could come loose), is one 7,579-vehicle total shared with the Golf 8, Tiguan and Arteon. What Car? scored the T-Roc 99% in 2025, but owners of diesels reported AdBlue and particulate-filter faults and owners of petrols infotainment and door-lock faults. Launch-year cars carry several small recalls.

What goes wrong

Safety recall R/2022/074recall
Engine compartment covers could come loose from their attachment
7,579 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 5 September 2020 and 17 February 2022
Smaller recall — 7,579 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Safety recall R/2019/005recall
The bonded joint between the upper and lower section of the rear spoiler may be faulty
6,830 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 29 January 2018 and 12 June 2018
Smaller recall — 6,830 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Diesel — AdBlue and particulate-filter faultsmajor
What Car? says owners of diesel T-Rocs most often reported faulty AdBlue systems and diesel particulate filter problems, often with warning lights and repeated visits to the dealer.
Diesel T-Rocs
Check: Check for any warning light after start-up, ask for the AdBlue and particulate-filter history, and look at the invoices for any visit to a dealer for either.
Petrol — infotainment and door-lock faultsminor
What Car? says owners of petrol T-Rocs reported occasional problems with the infotainment system and door locks: minor, but not always quickly resolved.
Petrol T-Rocs
Check: Work the touchscreen, Bluetooth and every door lock, and, as What Car? advises, make sure a DSG automatic changes gear smoothly without hesitation or juddering.

Typical asking price:: not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:: No sourced real-world figure for the T-Roc, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at.
Vehicle tax:: £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:: 2019, 2020

Used Volkswagen T-Rocs for sale Full T-Roc fault guide Used Volkswagens

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Which one suits you

Hyundai Kona

Good for: Buyers who want a compact SUV and will check the recall record on the car, particularly an electric Kona, before agreeing a price.

Less good for: Anyone buying a first-generation Kona Electric without proof that the battery recalls were carried out, or counting on warranty cover without working out its end date from the registration.

Volkswagen T-Roc

Good for: Buyers who want a small SUV with a strong MOT record and few large recalls, and who will check a launch-year car by registration.

Less good for: Anyone buying a diesel T-Roc without its AdBlue and particulate-filter history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Hyundai Kona or the Volkswagen T-Roc?

The Volkswagen T-Roc. Measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 3.2 percentage points ahead of the Hyundai Kona on first-time MOT passes, across 15,624 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

How do the MOT pass rates of the Hyundai Kona and the Volkswagen T-Roc compare?

90.3% of Hyundai Konas pass their MOT first time (6,358 tests in DVSA's records) and 92.9% of Volkswagen T-Rocs pass their MOT first time (9,266 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Hyundai Kona's age average 89.1% and cars of the Volkswagen T-Roc's age 88.4% — so the Hyundai Kona runs 1.3 points better than its age group and the Volkswagen T-Roc runs 4.5 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

Which years of the Hyundai Kona and Volkswagen T-Roc should I avoid?

Hyundai Kona: No year is named. DVSA’s MOT table rates 2018 and 2019 registrations above all cars registered those years and 2020 to 2022 level, and the Kona Electric’s battery recalls run across every first-generation build (January 2018 to July 2023) rather than one year. On an electric Kona the question is whether the recall work was done on that car, not which year it is from. Early cars have two small recalls of their own, which DVSA files under plain Kona with no fuel type: R/2019/001 (built 9 May to 19 December 2018) and R/2019/115 (built 20 April 2017 to 11 September 2018). Volkswagen T-Roc: No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates every T-Roc registration year above all cars registered that year (2018 by 7.4 points). Launch-year cars carry five small recalls: R/2018/066 (an owner’s manual supplement, built November 2017 to January 2018), R/2018/301 and R/2020/112 (electric parking brake software, built October 2017 to June 2018), R/2019/005 (rear spoiler bond, January to June 2018) and R/2018/352 (rear seat backrest weld, May to August 2018), so check the car by registration.

Is the Hyundai Kona or the Volkswagen T-Roc cheaper to run?

On fuel it depends on the engine, and for a plug-in or electric version on whether you can charge at home. Hyundai Kona: What Car? recorded 250 miles or more of real-world range from the 64 kWh Kona Electric (its October 2025 update); we have no sourced real-world figure for the petrol or hybrid versions, whose official figures depend on the engine. Volkswagen T-Roc: No sourced real-world figure for the T-Roc, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. The electric versions (Kona Electric) pay the same £200/year standard rate since 1 April 2025 (electric cars were exempt before then), with the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 only on one first registered from 1 April 2025 that listed at over £50,000 new (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.