Kia
3,210 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Soul First Edition EVs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.0%
Pass-after-fix
2.0%
Fail
7.7%
Avg miles
27,782
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from all UK clean air zone charges.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,210 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.1 points across the cohorts — newer Soul First Edition EV examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
89.4%
Fail
7.9%
PRS
2.6%
Avg mileage at test
31,092 mi
Pass
90.5%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
24,961 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 958 MOT tests, the Soul First Edition Ev returns 93.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,748, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–22
out of 50
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A tyre seriously damaged
82 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
49 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
39 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
38 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
33 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
27 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
14 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
6 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£100–£185
If every one of this Soul First Edition EV's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.1-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Kia Soul First Edition EV makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.5%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.5% — a 1.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,961 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, has ply or cords exposed — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
89.4%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 89.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, blade defective, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 31,092 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (89.4% pass). That's a 1.1-point spread across 1,476 older tests and 1,734 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Production of Soul will began in Korea in September 2008 with UK cars appearing in early 2009\. Kia believes Soul will provide a creative platform for buyers to individualise and match their car to their own personality. High tech standard audio with Aux and iPod sockets and Bluetooth. Optional reversing camera screen is in rear view mirror.
Where it falls short
Kia confirmed Soul would retain the name and spirit of the concept from which it evolved. Body colours: White, Bright Silver, Titanium Silver, Blue Stone, Vanilla Shake, Green Tea Latte, Cocktail Orange, Tomato Red, Java Brown, Moonlight Blue, Black Soul. 15" steel wheels with 195/65 R15 tyres, 16" alloys with 205/55 R16 tyres or 18" alloys with 225/45 R18 tyres.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Soul First Edition EV and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
