MOT fail rates by first-use year

2010 Kia Soul MOT fail rate and common faults

How Kia Soul cars first used in 2010 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 11,852 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 15 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 15 (n=2,731)43.2%

All cars at 15 years (n=5,591,675)41.6%

Difference+1.7 pts

MOT tests of 2010 cars, 2022 to 202511,852

What stands out

In 2025, at 15 years old, Kia Soul cars first used in 2010 failed 43.2% of MOTs (2,731 tests), 1.7 points above the 41.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 12 to 15 years old, the fail rate moved from 42.1% to 43.2%.
Kia Soul cars first used a year earlier, in 2009, failed 45.8% at the same age of 15 years (2,121 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Kia Soul at 15 years, is steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 12.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Kia Soul cars first used in 2010: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	12 years	42.1%	3,164	36.0%	+6.1 pts
2023	13 years	42.0%	3,036	38.3%	+3.7 pts
2024	14 years	43.9%	2,921	40.3%	+3.7 pts
2025	15 years	43.2%	2,731	41.6%	+1.7 pts

Most common faults at 15 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2009 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,852). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	12.9	1.9
Side/position light not working Wear	8.5	5.8
Handbrake too weak	3.7	2.3
Suspension ball joint worn	3.6	2.5
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.3	3.1
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	2.8	2.3
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	2.7	2.0
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	2.6	1.3
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.6	2.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.4	2.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,852). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	18.6	18.4
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	15.3	7.2
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	15.2	11.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.2	9.4
Coil spring: corroded	9.7	7.0
Track rod end ball joint: slight play	9.1	1.8
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	9.0	9.8
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	7.8	5.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	7.7	6.9
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	5.3	2.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,852). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 15 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2009 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,852). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	63.5%	44.5%	3,079	42.0%	99,814 miles
Petrol	36.5%	44.1%	1,773	41.5%	89,844 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 15 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2009 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,852). At 15 years, Kia Soul cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (46.2%, n=1,642) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (42.1%, n=1,458). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	42.1%	1,458	40.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	46.2%	1,642	45.1%

Car tax rules for a 2010 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.
Electric cars have paid vehicle tax since 1 April 2025, under the rules for their registration date.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2010 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
Fully electric cars do not pay the ULEZ charge.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Kia Soul

2009 Kia Soul 2011 Kia Soul

Other Kia models first used in 2010

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Kia Picanto (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.9%	12,330	41.6%
Kia Ceed (2010)	15 years in 2025	48.2%	7,062	41.6%
Kia Rio (2010)	15 years in 2025	44.7%	5,451	41.6%
Kia Sportage (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.0%	3,650	41.6%
Kia Venga (2010)	15 years in 2025	45.5%	2,683	41.6%
Kia Sorento (2010)	15 years in 2025	40.6%	1,659	41.6%

More on the Kia Soul

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2010 Kia Soul cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.