2020 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 386 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 KIA Soul. That ranks 6th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (243 complaints, 63%), typically at around 24,037 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 6 fires, 6 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 386owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 243 | 63% | 24,037 | “oil consumption” (10%) | $7,200 |
| Power Train problems | 91 | 24% | 8,850 | “transmission failed” (12%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 52 | 13% | 5,250 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 7% | 21,632 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 4% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 4% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 4% | 12,950 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 3% | 94,154 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 3% | 7,550 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 3% | 451 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% | 4,800 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 5,350 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 20 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | 11,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 90 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 0% | 2,300 | — | — |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 200 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 KIA Soul recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
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
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On [XXX], my 2020 Kia Soul (2.0L Nu MPI, VIN [XXX], approximately 102,420 miles) suffered total engine failure: complete loss of motive power, stalled and would not restart. This is the exact defect covered by federal recall 21V259000 / Kia SC209 (piston oil rings causing engine damage and…
On XXX my 2020 Kia Soul while on the freeway, would not accelerate and silently stalled. The check engine, oil, and battery light all came on. Putting it into Park and then Drive again, the vehicle began shifting backwards. The vehicle could not be safely driven and was towed to Kearny Mesa Kia in…
2nd failed motor due to code P1327, was replaced last year for same issue, less than a year later and same issue again.
The vehicle experienced complete and sudden engine failure while actively driving on a roadway. The engine began making loud, violent knocking noises, the check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle completely stopped and lost all motive power mid-drive. I believe this is directly caused by the…
Vehicle Details: 2020 Kia Soul, 2.0L Nu MPI Engine Complaint Description: My vehicle is experiencing severe, excessive engine oil consumption at 99,000 miles, which has directly resulted in a P0420 diagnostic trouble code (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold) due to motor oil poisoning the…
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 94 | 1 |
| 2021 Soul | 238 | 2 |
| 2020 | 386 | 1 |
| 2019 Soul | 136 | 1 |
| 2018 Soul | 219 | 1 |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 |
| 2015 Soul | 901 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 |
| 2011 Soul | 194 | 3 |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 |
See all KIA Soul problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report engine, power train, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 243 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 KIA Soul?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 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 2020 has more complaints than most years, 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.