Know Your MOT
10.2%fail rate

Kia Soul First common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kia Soul First fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 6,964 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 10.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Kia Soul First in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is tyres, which makes up 51.9% of the Kia Soul First's failures, followed by tyres, visibility/wipers, brakes, steering. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Tyres51.9% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Visibility/wipers16.5% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Brakes6.9% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Steering6.3% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Lamps & electrical4.9% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Suspension1.7% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the tyres failure: Kia Soul First tyresSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First tyresaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Kia Soul First wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Kia Soul First brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Kia Soul First steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Kia Soul First headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kia Soul First suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kia Soul First suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kia Soul First suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Kia Sportage MOT failures19.2% failure rateKia Picanto MOT failures22.7% failure rateKia Ceed MOT failures23.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain