KIA SOUL Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls β NHTSA Data
Comparing used KIA SOUL options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017β2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact KIA SOUL you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the KIA SOUL has 1,333 owner complaints and 11 safety recalls across model years 2017β2026. The most reported issue area is ENGINE. 2020 drew the most complaints; 2025 drew the fewest.
- Make
- KIA
- Model
- SOUL
- Model years analyzed
- 2017β2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,333
- Safety recall campaigns
- 11
- Crash-related complaints
- 74
- Fire-related complaints
- 47
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2020 (352 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2025 (11 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Poor
KIA SOUL: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used β lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record β lower risk starting points.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe KIA SOUL has 1,333 NHTSA complaints and 11 recalls on record. 74 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 1,333 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 11 federal recall campaigns
- 74 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
11 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 1,333 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
1,333 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Intermittent failure of multiple safetyβcritical Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) while driving. Forward collision avoidance, lane safety, and other driverβassist features disable simultaneously without warning.
This 2024 Kia soul, 2 issues 1. the instrument cluster does not show, when turning the vehicle on the instrument cluster is blank, meaning I cannot see the speed limit, how much fuel or use any adaptive features, braking, lane departure, cruise control, etc ****this creates a dangerous situation and I do not believe the car is safe to drive**** I see there is a recall for this issue on 2023 models Kia 23V298000 Kia SC270 2. Intermittent window issues with the automatic windows, when opening from the driver side the windows will not come back up, have to pull over and turn vehicle on and off and /or try to close the windows from each door individually I called to report this to Kia at [XXX] and asked them to repair both and they were not much help, I asked this be reported and am not confident the person will actually do so They did tell me there were issues already noted which I requested be raised to a technical service bulletin or a recall and extend the warranty for all affected vehicles thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low beam headlights were very dim. The headlight control was set to automatic, but the dimness of the headlights was the same as when switched to manual control. The failure was not as noticeable while using the high beam headlights. The contact stated that the low beam headlights failed to properly illuminate in low-light areas. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that there was no fix for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
My vehicle has less than 8K miles. This weekend my horn stopped working (a definite safety problem) and the signal that I had locked my car doors using my fob failed to work. The lights did flash to signal they were locked (I checked just to be sure!) I need to have the vehicle checked before part(s) can be ordered. That requires 2 trips to the dealer instead of one. I was told that this problem is a "recall under warranty". Kia isn't doing anything to keep their customers with this lack of service.
Driver Attention Warning (DAW), "Consider Taking A Break", is coming on randomly, sometimes multiple times within a short driving distance. Has become a DISTRACTION instead of a SAFETY FEATURE! Cannot turn off or even turn down the sound. Even on "low" sound, still loud enough to wake up a sleeping passenger! Taken back to Kia dealer 3 times. They will do nothing because as they say" technician cannot duplicate customer concern."
It started appearing to be electrical and ended in some type of engine/system emergency! I rented this vehicle through Avis and the first few days everything appeared ok, regarding the functionality vehicle. Mid-day on 10-4-25, I attempted to put groceries in the trunk, wouldnβt open. After 4 minutes, I gave up, assuming Iβm doing something wrong.That evening, the gas mileage hadnβt moved remained at (90), the battery light, oil pan, mph:stuck on 23, and the rev stuck on 1.2, and the Odometer hasnβt changed. When I removed the key the dash board remained on and once I hit the lock button it turned off.10-5-25, I put gas in the car and the indicator marker never moved. I called to report these issues because my vehicle was not inspected before I left the lot. We canceled our paid trip and headed back to TX. While driving, the gas and oil pan light would turn on (2-3 min) then go off. While on the freeway, suddenly, the car shuts off. The best way I can describe it during the process is (sitting in a parked car with the ACC position) everything is working but the car isnβt βonβ. Due to MPH being stuck at 23, I can say I was literally going the speed limit (60-65, flow of traffic) to 0! The phones were still charging, lights, and dashboard stayed lit, hazards light worked, and we literally rolled until the car stopped! Since this is a rental by law it should have been checked before handing me the keys. The employee handed me the keys and pointed to the car from his computer. As soon as I was aware it was a problem I called multiple times to report this. When the situation was not properly handled by Avis the first 4 times, I called the police. I requested to file a report and the officer did not show, however, Harris County sent a tow truck. I will be filling a police report in the morning. Although there is not a recall, I see there are social groups with similar issues in the Kia 2024 Sol! This was a lemon rental and the experience was traumatic!
Started the car this morning and noticed that the dashboard screen was blank. This had never happened before. Turned the car off and on twice thinking maybe it was just a software glitch but the screen stayed blank. Took the car to the dealer shortly after. When I picked it up the service advisor said they did a reset and a software update. The advisor had not seen this in a 2024 Kia Soul. But when checking on-line, I saw several similar complaints for this year/model.
Horn malfunctioned, a known issue recognized by Kia on these models. Visited an authorized Kia repair center in Maryland on June 14, 2025. The repair center indicated that the necessary parts (96611-K0030 and 96619-T6000) are not available in Maryland or surrounding states, and backorder delays are at least four to six weeks. The vehicle is meanwhile not road safe due to the lack of a horn.
I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN JAN 2024 AND IT NOW HAS 16000 MILES. TOOK MY CAR INTO RAY SKILLMAN, PIKES PLAZA WESTIDE FOR SERVICE LAST MONTH BECAUSE MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A NATION WIDE BACK ORDER ON THE PART AND JUST 2 DAYS AGO, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE/CARE, STATING THAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS NO ETA AT THIS TIME. THIS (NOT HAVING A HORN) IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND ALSO THE SERVICE TECH THAT TOOK MY CAR IN, TOLD ME THAT IT AFFECTED OTHER KIA MODELS AS WELL, THEY DID NOT SEEM TO THINK THAT IT WAS A BIG DEAL AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEABLE, BUT WITHOUT A HORN, IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I'M ALSO CONTACTING THEM FOR A LOANER WHICH THEY REALLY DON'T SEEM TO WANT TO DO THAT ROUTE, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO RENT A VEHICLE TO BE REIMBURSED (SINCE IT IS A WARRANTY REPAIR), BECAUSE THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF POCKET THAT I DON'T HAVE. IF THAT IS A PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE KIA MODELS, WHY IS THAT NOT A RECALL? THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THEN, THAT I HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE MY HORN WAS NEEDED SO AS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY, AND I DID NOT HAVE ONE. (NO ACCIDENTS SO FAR) BUT IT IS BOUND TO HAPPEN.
My Kia Soul, which only has 7600 miles, was parked in my garage. When I went to wash it this afternoon, I found that the back window had shattered.
No sound when object is in area of vehicle when backing up.
The vehicle was looked at and was told it didnβt have sensors for the problem, I canβt believe the vehicle didnβt have sensors for that problem when the rest of the vehicle has sensors for everything else. The vehicle should be recalled to have the sensors put on for safety concerns. I have a camera but no warning sound when object is detected.
shortly after purchasing the car (06/2024) while driving (regardless of the weather or temperature, whether itβs day, night, hot, cold, etc) all of my dash warning lights come on, complete ADAS system malfunction. it shows a code for my front camera through the kia connect app and says itβs chasis related. i have taken my car in multiple times for this and i still leave with it the same day hours later. despite being told that both recommendations from my last service appointment had already been done, this is what i am left with. even after being involved in a front end collision, none of my safety features (that have never not been on) never came into play, emergency braking never happened. attaching most recent, first time addressing this issue was in august.
purchased 6-22-24 fire happened 8-14-24 at approximately 11pm, with approximately 2691 miles, fire started in engine compartment, car burned to ground, nothing left, approximately 2691 miles on vehicle. i was lucky to get out alive, i had to kick the doors open.
Well, isn't it wonderful that Kia has extended the warranty on the horn assembly. Now, how do I avail myself of the warranty? Simple - if the horn DOES NOT WORK or emits an unusual or different sound just bring it to KIA for a diagnosis. Now, when is it most likely that I realize the horn DOES NOT WORK? When I need it the most, or when the bicyclist or pedestrian or whatever needs my horn to work. How in the world does KIA think it can keep possibly unsafe vehicles on the road? I have no idea but I am filing a complaint and ask all others to do so. The horn is a critical safety feature that must work all the time. How does KIA think it can get away with this? Vehicles are required to meet and continue to meet at all times Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in existence at the time of manufacture. This is simply unacceptable.
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving on an access road at 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact started to drive however, the failure recurred. The contact inspected the vehicle but found no cause for the failure. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.
On 12/30/2024 my wife was returning home when all of the instrument lights went out. She stopped to make attemps to get the lights to come on but nothing worked. She had to drive home with no instruments for speed, directions, service, etc. When she got home ( very upset ) she only wanted to know why e new car with only 1400 miles would have this problem. I checked all the obvious cause for this condition but I could not find anything obviuos such as blown fuse, etc. Searching on line I found this was a common problem and people said a temporary fix was to disconnect the battery and retighten. This did work for the time but soon it did the same thing on New Years Eve and after supper we had to drive home with no dash lights. On 01/04/2025 the lights were out and error messages kept appearing. On 01/06/2025 I called the dealer service because of the safety problem and asked to speak to the manager and I have still not heard from him. My wife now refuses to drive the car and I understand why.
Headlights are not bright enough. In areas with no street lights itβs like driving with candles. The light is yellow and dim. This is a new car
Went out to my car one morning and my entire instrument cluster was black. I could not see my speedometer, gas gauge, mileage, nothing. Had to drive it for 2 days while using waze to keep track of my speed until I could get my car into the dealership. I have been waiting for 3 months now for the part
I parked my car in the assigned parking spot. It was vandalized for theft at 5 pm by Kia Boys. Because it was a 2024 model, it was not a class vehicle that I could file a settlement claim. This is an ongoing issue, thieves are still going around looking for vulnerable vehicles to steal for joyride. It will cost 3500 to fix and many damaged owners like me don't even have any legal recourse to get the cost reimbursed.
Showing 20 of 1,333 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact KIA SOUL
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The KIA SOUL has 1,333 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The KIA SOUL has 11 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 74 of the KIA SOUL's 1,333 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all KIA SOUL vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two KIA SOUL vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The KIA SOUL has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
Buyers Also Compare
How does the KIA SOUL stack up? Compare complaint history with similar vehicles.
π Check a KIA SOUL by State
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used KIA SOUL.