2017 Kia Soul — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 9,383 MOT tests, the 2017 Kia Soul recorded a 90.1% pass rate. Against small SUVs of a similar age (11.8% fail rate), the 2017 Soul comes out 1.9pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.1%) and brakes (3.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 315 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 19.1% versus 6.2%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 9.5% fail against 11.7% for electric, a 2.2-point gap across 5,987 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.1% | 388 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.9% | 361 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.7% | 349 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.3% | 215 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.7% | 65 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 36 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 315 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 186 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 160 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 151 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 107 |
| 6 | Washers | 100 |
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 | 21.8% | 2,042 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.6% | 1,460 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.6% | 714 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 378 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.1% | 192 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.3% | 118 |
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 | 3,725 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 4,266 | 11.5% |
| 60-90k | 1,133 | 14.3% |
| 90-120k | 231 | 19.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,851 | 9.5% |
| Petrol | 3,396 | 10.0% |
| Electric | 1,136 | 11.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,863 | 7.7% |
| 2022 | 1,880 | 8.7% |
| 2023 | 1,904 | 10.9% |
| 2024 | 1,861 | 11.2% |
| 2025 | 1,875 | 10.9% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Soul
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.1% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.1% 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.
- Brakes (3.9% 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.
- Visibility (3.7% 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 2017 Kia Souls pass their MOT?
90.1% of the 9,383 2017 Kia Soul MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Kia Soul?
Tyres, recorded in 4.1% of tests, followed by brakes (3.9%).
Does the 2017 Soul get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.2% in the 0-30k band to 19.1% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,383 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.