2011 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- About as many complaints as other years 10th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 194 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 KIA Soul. That ranks 10th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (32 complaints, 16%), typically at around 120,000 miles. Complaints mention 27 crashes, 5 fires, 29 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 194owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 27complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 KIA Soul problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 32 | 16% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 15% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 26 | 13% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 24 | 12% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 21 | 11% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 7% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 7% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 7% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 6% | 42,600 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 6% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 5% | 20,783 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 5% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 4% | 33,396 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 4% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 3% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 3% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 2% | 90,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 2% | 8,200 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 13,750 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 1% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | 139,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 16,602 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 KIA Soul recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Structure:body:roof and pillars
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kia Soul vehicles manufactured January 8, 2009, to October 2, 2013, equipped with a sun roof. A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.
Risk: A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install industrial adhesive strips to secure the headliner plates, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC112.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (PE19004) — opened Mar 29, 2019, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V088000.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (DP18003) — opened Aug 21, 2018, closed May 10, 2019, led to recall 18V907000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated, indicating that the airbag system was inoperative. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. A certified…
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her husband was at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was successfully jump-started; however, after driving approximately one mile, the vehicle began jerking and lost power again and was pushed to a residence. The…
This vehicle had just passed a inspection for me to get it licensed and Kentucky. There was no light showing that the airbags would not work. Unfortunately, this vehicle is not available.I had reached out to kia multiple times. My fears I have another Kia the same year.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
The contact owned a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked overnight on his driveway, caught on fire, and exploded in the early morning. The fire started from the engine bay. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. The fire originated from the front engine bay, and soon…
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 93 | 1 |
| 2021 Soul | 237 | 2 |
| 2020 Soul | 384 | 1 |
| 2019 Soul | 136 | 1 |
| 2018 Soul | 218 | 1 |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 |
| 2015 Soul | 900 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 |
| 2011 | 194 | 3 |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 |
See all KIA Soul problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 32 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 KIA Soul?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 KIA Soul a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Soul model years, the 2011 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.