MOT fail rates by first-use year

2018 Kia Soul MOT fail rate and common faults

How Kia Soul cars first used in 2018 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 7,912 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 7 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 7 (n=1,972)15.3%

All cars at 7 years (n=10,537,318)20.6%

Difference−5.3 pts

MOT tests of 2018 cars, 2022 to 20257,912

What stands out

In 2025, at 7 years old, Kia Soul cars first used in 2018 failed 15.3% of MOTs (1,972 tests), 5.3 points below the 20.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 4 to 7 years old, the fail rate moved from 12.1% to 15.3%.
Kia Soul cars first used a year earlier, in 2017, failed 15.8% at the same age of 7 years (1,689 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Kia Soul at 7 years, is handbrake too weak, at 1.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Kia Soul cars first used in 2018: 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	4 years	12.1%	1,970	13.4%	−1.3 pts
2023	5 years	13.7%	1,982	15.3%	−1.6 pts
2024	6 years	14.2%	1,988	17.8%	−3.6 pts
2025	7 years	15.3%	1,972	20.6%	−5.3 pts

Most common faults at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=8,435). 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
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.2	2.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.0	2.2
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	1.7	1.7
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.7	1.3
Handbrake too weak	1.4	0.4
Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative	0.7	0.7
Washers: not working Wear	0.7	0.5
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	0.6	1.0
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	0.6	1.1
Dipped headlight not working Wear	0.6	0.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=8,435). 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	13.1	15.0
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	10.1	8.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.9	9.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.4	8.0
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	2.7	2.6
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	2.5	1.9
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively	2.3	0.6
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	2.2	2.0
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	1.8	2.4
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.7	1.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=8,435). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=8,435). 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	55.6%	15.9%	4,690	22.1%	45,282 miles
Petrol	34.3%	15.4%	2,889	19.6%	39,601 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 7 years

These figures cover all Kia Soul MOTs at 7 years: cars first used 2015 to 2018, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=8,435). At 7 years, Kia Soul cars at 60,000 to 90,000 miles failed more often (22.4%, n=1,532) than those at under 30,000 miles (10.0%, n=2,020). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	10.0%	2,020	12.7%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	15.9%	4,560	19.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	22.4%	1,532	24.2%

Car tax rules for a 2018 car

Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.
Electric cars have paid vehicle tax since 1 April 2025, under the rules for their registration date.
Electric cars registered before 1 April 2025 do not pay the expensive car supplement.

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 from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
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

2017 Kia Soul 2021 Kia Soul

Other Kia models first used in 2018

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Kia Sportage (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.8%	33,805	20.6%
Kia Picanto (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.3%	16,413	20.6%
Kia Ceed (2018)	7 years in 2025	19.6%	9,221	20.6%
Kia Niro (2018)	7 years in 2025	14.2%	7,483	20.6%
Kia Stonic (2018)	7 years in 2025	14.6%	6,820	20.6%
Kia Rio (2018)	7 years in 2025	15.2%	5,742	20.6%
Kia Venga (2018)	7 years in 2025	12.2%	3,681	20.6%
Kia Sorento (2018)	7 years in 2025	17.5%	2,720	20.6%

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 2018 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.