Kia Soul MOT pass rate: 73.2% (21,811 tests, 2025)

Name: Kia Soul MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Kia Soul passed 73.2% of its 21,811 MOT tests in 2025 — 4.3 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 71,250 miles on the clock.

73.2%Pass rate (2025)

21,811MOT tests analysed

71,250 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the Soul compares

Kia Soul

73.2%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Kia average (all models)

79.8%

What fails most on the Kia Soul

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Soul:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	3,897	27.2%
2	Suspension	2,535	17.7%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,203	15.4%
4	Steering	2,022	14.1%
5	Tyres	1,821	12.7%
6	Visibility	986	6.9%

Pre-MOT checklist for Soul owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
With the engine running, turn lock to lock: knocks or stiff spots are testable defects
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Soul pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2009	6,221	61.5%	-4.9 pts	95,958	61.5% visual scale
2010	8,538	63.8%	-3.5 pts	91,070	63.8% visual scale
2011	9,831	64.2%	-4.9 pts	85,877	64.2% visual scale
2012	4,752	65.4%	-5.8 pts	74,989	65.4% visual scale
2013	3,845	68.2%	-5.1 pts	67,196	68.2% visual scale
2014	7,775	79.1%	+3.3 pts	63,228	79.1% visual scale
2015	7,683	82.7%	+4.0 pts	57,752	82.7% visual scale
2016	6,303	84.8%	+3.4 pts	49,195	84.8% visual scale
2017	4,990	87.7%	+3.7 pts	40,628	87.7% visual scale
2018	5,786	89.7%	+3.3 pts	33,945	89.7% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Steering: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 718 cars · 19.4% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 287 cars · 13.2% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 883 cars · 7.0% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 247 cars · 6.5% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 1,423 cars · 6.2% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Soul before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Kia models

SPORTAGE78.9% pass rate · 253,493 tests Picanto76.2% pass rate · 180,724 tests Ceed72.5% pass rate · 111,091 tests Rio75.4% pass rate · 95,713 tests Niro90.5% pass rate · 54,779 tests Venga77.7% pass rate · 46,179 tests Sorento73.0% pass rate · 30,615 tests Stonic89.1% pass rate · 18,986 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Kia Soul?

In 2025, 73.2% of 21,811 first MOT tests on the Kia Soul were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Soul fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is brakes (27.2% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the Kia Soul reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 73.2% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 71,250 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.