Kia Soul 2018: MOT failure rate for its age
12.7% of 7,917 MOT tests of the Kia Soul first registered in 2018 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 95.1 (95% CI 89.2–101.0; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2018 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 12.7 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 7917 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 89.2–101.0) | 95.1 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 7917 |
| Rank among this model's 12 build years | 6 | of 12 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 7917 |
| Tested in 2024 | 1977 | tests | median 34,320 miles | 2024 | 1977 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2018 Kia Soul fail at each age?
Cars built in 2018 were tested at ages 3 to 6 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1,996 | 10.9 | 9.6–12.3 | 9.9 | 110.1 |
| 4 | 1,967 | 12.1 | 10.7–13.6 | 13 | 93.1 |
| 5 | 1,977 | 13.8 | 12.3–15.3 | 15.1 | 91.2 |
| 6 | 1,977 | 14.3 | 12.8–15.9 | 15.7 | 90.9 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,917 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2018 Kia Soul?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2018 is visibility: 6.8 items per 100 first tests, against 8.4 across all build years of the Kia Soul. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2018 were tested at ages 3 to 6.
| Failure group | Built 2018, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 6.8 | 8.4 | 542 |
| Tyres | 4.2 | 8.3 | 332 |
| Brakes | 3.1 | 13 | 245 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.2 | 11.1 | 175 |
| Suspension | 0.5 | 9.2 | 40 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,997 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2018 compare with the years around it?
Among the 12 published build years of the Kia Soul, 2018 ranks 6 (1 = fails least for its age). 2017: index 91.7. 2019: index 103.5.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 102.5 | 99.9–105.1 | no different | 14,234 |
| 2010 | 103.1 | 100.7–105.4 | worse | 18,623 |
| 2011 | 108.7 | 106.3–111.1 | worse | 21,114 |
| 2012 | 109.5 | 105.9–113.2 | worse | 9,940 |
| 2013 | 111.9 | 107.5–116.4 | worse | 7,885 |
| 2014 | 88.4 | 85.4–91.5 | better | 16,016 |
| 2015 | 86.3 | 83.0–89.5 | better | 15,700 |
| 2016 | 88.3 | 84.3–92.3 | better | 13,054 |
| 2017 | 91.7 | 86.4–96.9 | better | 8,891 |
| 2018 | 95.1 | 89.2–101.0 | no different | 7,917 |
| 2019 | 103.5 | 86.0–120.9 | no different (rough estimate) | 1,045 |
| 2020 | 86.7 | 73.7–99.6 | better (rough estimate) | 1,754 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 136,173 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Kia Soul 2018 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/kia-soul/2018/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
Kia Soul 2009 · Kia Soul 2010 · Kia Soul 2011 · Kia Soul 2012 · Kia Soul 2013 · Kia Soul 2014 · Kia Soul 2015 · Kia Soul 2016 · Kia Soul 2017 · Kia Soul 2019 · Kia Soul 2020 · Kia Soul in Norway · Kia Soul in Finland · Kia Soul in the Netherlands · Kia Soul by postcode area · Kia Soul body, chassis and structure failures · Kia Soul brakes failures · Kia Soul vehicle identification failures · Kia Soul lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Kia Soul noise, emissions and leaks failures · Kia Soul road wheels failures · Kia Soul seat belts and airbags failures · Kia Soul steering failures · Kia Soul suspension failures · Kia Soul tyres failures · Kia Soul visibility failures