KIA Soul Problems by Year
KIA Soul years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Soul year: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2014 Soul: 902 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2015 Soul: 901 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2016 Soul: 816 complaints, 2 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2025 Soul: 12 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2024 Soul: 30 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2023 Soul: 54 complaints, 4 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common KIA Soul problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 3,145 | 16 | 27 |
| Electrical System problems | 520 | 15 | 17 |
| Steering problems | 519 | 15 | 33 |
| Power Train problems | 432 | 16 | 9 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 407 | 14 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 346 | 14 | 7 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 252 | 15 | 0 |
| Air Bags problems | 203 | 15 | 144 |
| Service Brakes problems | 202 | 16 | 38 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 180 | 15 | 13 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 154 | 11 | 2 |
| Structure problems | 138 | 13 | 24 |
| Visibility/wiper | 60 | 14 | 1 |
| Suspension | 58 | 14 | 7 |
| Seat Belts | 54 | 12 | 22 |
| Wheels | 50 | 12 | 10 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 39 | 9 | 3 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 36 | 13 | 7 |
| Visibility | 35 | 9 | 0 |
| Tires | 28 | 11 | 4 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 11 | 2 |
| Lane Departure | 17 | 7 | 1 |
| Seats | 17 | 8 | 5 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
KIA Soul problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2022: engine (54)
- 2021: engine (138)
- 2020: engine (243) · power train (91)
- 2019: engine (87)
- 2018: engine (141)
- 2017: engine (191)
- 2016: engine (561) · engine and engine cooling (106) · fuel/propulsion system (84) · power train (62) · electrical system (56)
- 2015: engine (630) · fuel/propulsion system (76) · electrical system (75) · power train (61) · engine and engine cooling (58)
- 2014: engine (553) · exterior lighting (130) · electrical system (98) · power train (58) · engine and engine cooling (55) · steering (55) · fuel/propulsion system (54)
- 2013: engine (285) · steering (152) · electrical system (71) · service brakes, hydraulic (68)
- 2012: engine (209) · steering (166)
All KIA Soul model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 | 4★ | Exterior Lighting | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 | 4★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 | 4★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Soul | 94 | 1 | 4★ | Engine | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Soul | 238 | 2 | 4★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2020 Soul | 386 | 1 | 4★ | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2019 Soul | 136 | 1 | 5★ | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Soul | 219 | 1 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2015 Soul | 901 | 4 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 | 4★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 | 4★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2011 Soul | 194 | 3 | 4★ | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 | — | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
More from KIA: all KIA models · KIA VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which KIA Soul years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2012 (514), 2013 (666), 2014 (902), 2015 (901), 2016 (816) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Soul year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the KIA Soul?
Engine, with 3,145 complaints across 16 model years.
How many recalls does the KIA Soul have?
15 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.