Does the Kia Soul fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

The Kia Soul records 11.14 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 13.69 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.55, 95% interval −2.75 to −2.36). It ranks 428 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Kia Soul by registration

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Kia Soul is “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”, recorded 3,561 times in 2019–2024.

Kia Soul: most frequent lamps, reflectors and electrics defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wording	Items	Per 100 tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources	3,561	2.59
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	2,887	2.10
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	1,534	1.11
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED	1,124	0.82
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	1,010	0.73

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 137,660 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

If a Kia Soul gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

21.8% of Kia Soul MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,458 miles later (1,404 advisories followed).

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,404 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Does the Kia Soul fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

If a Kia Soul gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

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