2018 Kia Soul — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,669 MOT tests, the 2018 Kia Soul recorded a 91.7% pass rate. Against small SUVs of a similar age (9.9% fail rate), the 2018 Soul comes out 1.6pp better. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (4.0%) and tyres (3.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 408 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.3% versus 5.7%.
Split by fuel, electric examples fail 2.4pp more often than petrol ones (10.0% vs 7.6%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 18.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 4.0% | 432 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.6% | 389 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.1% | 331 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.4% | 254 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.5% | 49 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 27 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 408 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 183 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 163 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 135 |
| 5 | Washers | 118 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 87 |
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 | 18.6% | 1,988 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.3% | 1,209 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.9% | 631 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.3% | 350 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 113 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.0% | 110 |
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 | 5,913 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 3,998 | 10.6% |
| 60-90k | 650 | 15.7% |
| 90-120k | 82 | 18.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,487 | 7.6% |
| Diesel | 2,977 | 8.3% |
| Electric | 2,205 | 10.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,122 | 6.1% |
| 2022 | 2,114 | 7.1% |
| 2023 | 2,142 | 8.1% |
| 2024 | 2,109 | 8.9% |
| 2025 | 2,182 | 11.0% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Soul
On a 2018 Soul, visibility is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.0% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Visibility (4.0% 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.
- Tyres (3.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 2018 Kia Souls pass their MOT?
91.7% of the 10,669 2018 Kia Soul MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Kia Soul?
Visibility, recorded in 4.0% of tests, followed by tyres (3.6%).
Does the 2018 Soul get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.7% in the 0-30k band to 18.3% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,669 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.