2015 Kia Soul — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Kia Soul passed 86.6% of its 14,921 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.0 percentage points better than small SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 16.4%. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.1%) and tyres (4.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, rbt (sp) and tread depth — brake pads alone was recorded 428 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.9% versus 7.0%.
Fuel type barely separates them — electric fails 12.2% of the time against 13.6% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.1% | 1,053 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.8% | 722 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.9% | 437 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 411 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 260 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 57 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 428 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 376 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 359 |
| 4 | Wipers | 297 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 222 |
| 6 | Washers | 204 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.1% | 3,603 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.9% | 3,411 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.1% | 1,210 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.2% | 780 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.0% | 603 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.5% | 221 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2,308 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 6,987 | 12.0% |
| 60-90k | 4,283 | 17.2% |
| 90-120k | 1,094 | 20.1% |
| 120-150k | 207 | 20.8% |
| 150k+ | 39 | 17.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 10,464 | 13.6% |
| Petrol | 3,869 | 13.1% |
| Electric | 588 | 12.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,938 | 10.2% |
| 2022 | 2,953 | 12.1% |
| 2023 | 2,970 | 12.0% |
| 2024 | 3,026 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 3,034 | 17.3% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Soul
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 7.1% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (7.1% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Tyres (4.8% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (2.9% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2015 Kia Souls pass their MOT?
86.6% of the 14,921 2015 Kia Soul MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Kia Soul?
Brakes, recorded in 7.1% of tests, followed by tyres (4.8%).
Does the 2015 Soul get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 17.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 14,921 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.