In 2025, 21,881 Kia Soul cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 68% passed first time, compared with 68% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Soul about average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 136 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 6 years old, 86% of Souls passed first time (all cars that age: 84%). By 16 years, that figure is 52% (all cars: 58%). It starts out ahead of the average car but falls behind from around 12 years, which is worth knowing if you are buying an older one.
Kia Soul All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Soul passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 years | 339 | 86% | 84% | 36,273 |
| 7 years | 1,962 | 85% | 81% | 42,701 |
| 8 years | 1,685 | 85% | 78% | 49,991 |
| 9 years | 2,114 | 78% | 75% | 58,385 |
| 10 years | 2,553 | 76% | 72% | 66,032 |
| 11 years | 2,595 | 72% | 69% | 72,530 |
| 12 years | 1,281 | 62% | 66% | 75,680 |
| 13 years | 1,561 | 59% | 63% | 82,732 |
| 14 years | 3,168 | 57% | 61% | 92,215 |
| 15 years | 2,709 | 56% | 59% | 97,923 |
| 16 years | 1,901 | 52% | 58% | 101,465 |
What fails most on a Kia Soul
The area that lets the Soul down most, relative to other cars, is steering: 9.3% of tests failed on it, 4.2 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on body and structure and emissions and leaks.
Share of Soul tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | Steering | 7.3% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 5.6% |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 4.5% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 3.4% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 3.3% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.2% |
What to check when buying a used Soul
Based on where the Soul fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Brakes: Look through the wheels for lipped or scored discs, check the handbrake holds on a slope, and feel for pulling or vibration under firm braking. Repair guide
- Visibility: Check the windscreen for chips in the driver’s view, the wipers for smearing and the washers for working jets. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Soul
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a SoulFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Kia Soul?
In 2025, 68% of Kia Soul cars passed their MOT first time, across 21,881 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 68%.
What do Kia Soul cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play (7.3% of tests); a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (5.6% of tests); a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.5% of tests).
Other Kia models
Kia Sportage (75%), Kia Picanto (71%), Kia Ceed (66%), Kia Rio (70%), Kia Niro (87%), Kia Venga (71%). All Kia models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.