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What to check: Kia Soul

BBy age

DBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Kia Soul, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 2.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%

A binding brakeRuns high on this modelAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 2.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 2.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.1%

Handbrake holdRuns high on this modelStop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 2.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

LeaksLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Lights and horn walkroundWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 0.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 20.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 11.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the front discs and calipers for a lip of rust or a pad that won't release.A dragging caliper or heavily corroded disc means the sticking/corrosion fault has already started.

On an automatic, pull away from standstill a few times and crawl in traffic.A judder or a hunt between 1st and 2nd gear points to the DCT clutch pack wearing.

Let a petrol car idle for a minute at a stop.A rough, uneven idle can mean carbon build-up on the intake valves.

Turn the wheel lock to lock at walking pace with the engine running.A whine or grinding from the steering rack, especially on a 2013 car, means go and check the recall was done.

On a diesel, ask how the car's mostly driven and about any DPF warning light history.Frequent short trips plus a DPF light history means an expensive filter problem could be close.

Pull the full MOT history, not just the headline pass.Repeated brake advisories year after year back up the corrosion/sticking pattern, not just normal wear.

Full Kia Soul reliability report