Electric Kia Soul: MOT pass rate
86.5% of electric Kia Souls pass the MOT first time, measured across 896 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 45,234.
Electric against the other Kia Soul versions
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 72.4% | 14,417 |
| Petrol | 75.8% | 7,253 |
| Electric | 86.5% | 896 |
| All Kia Soul | 74% | 22,567 |
Why the fuel type changes the number
No exhaust, no emissions test and far fewer moving parts, which is why EVs post the highest pass rates of any fuel type. Tyres and suspension take the load instead, since they are heavier.
On the Kia Soul specifically, electric is the strongest at 86.5%, and this electric version sits 12.5 points above the 74% model average.
What it means if you are buying one
The electric Kia Soul is the stronger side of this model on MOT data. Still judge the individual car, but the fuel type is a mild point in its favour. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.
Mileage is part of the answer
The average electric Kia Soul had covered 45,234 miles at test, against 77,601 for the diesel and 66,100 for the petrol. That is below average for a car this age, worth a mileage-consistency check since an unusually low reading is sometimes clocking rather than luck.
Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Kia Soul page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.
Most common MOT failures on a electric Kia Soul
- A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.8% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.7% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.3% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged, 2.6% of tests
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.4% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.2% of tests
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
- Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.8% of tests
- A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.7% of tests (2.45x the national rate for this defect)
From 897 DVSA-tracked electric Kia Soul tests, 2024, split out from the Kia Soul's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 6.69% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.
Most common MOT advisories on a electric Kia Soul
Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 6.6% of tests (3.29x the national rate for this defect), also fails
- Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.7% of tests (1.97x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre seriously damaged, 21.4% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this defect), also fails
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25.3% of tests, also fails
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 6.5% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.7% of tests, also fails
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.9% of tests, also fails
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.1% of tests
- Excessive wear or play in a universal joint or a flexible coupling excessively deteriorated, 0.7% of tests (17.52x the national rate for this defect)
- Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive, 0.7% of tests (3.51x the national rate for this defect)
From 897 DVSA-tracked electric Kia Soul tests, 2024.
Other Kia Soul fuel types
- Diesel Kia Soul - 72.4%
- Petrol Kia Soul - 75.8%