2023 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 14th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 KIA Soul. That ranks 14th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (14 complaints, 26%), typically at around 45,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 1 fire, 15 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 54owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2023 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 14 | 26% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 14 | 26% | 8,872 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 24% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 15% | 8,700 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 7 | 13% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 9% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | 400 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2023 KIA Soul recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Air bags
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.
Power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:pumpPark outside
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
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
- Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness (AQ25001) — opened Aug 6, 2025, closed Dec 18, 2025.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving the engine started shaking and smoke blew out from the tailpipe and then the vehicle stalled. I brought it in and the same thing happened on the way home from the dealership after it was supposedly fixed.
My brakes failed to stop my car I was driving down [XXX]. I went to brake because I was going to slow down cause I was just over the speed limit and my brakes went all the way to the floor and I I could not stop the car with the brakes , so I pulled over to the side and slowly came to a halt. I was…
It appears to get really hot and then it starts to smoke abundantly. And then the car struggles to drive forward. And something about instrument cluster
I will be accelerating and the car will on occasion start to sputter like it is going to die and loose power on me. It has done it three different times the last time it through a code on my OBD monitor read it and said P0304 the 4th cylinder is misfiring. I took it in and they couldn't see the…
While driving an alarm noise sounds and on the dash a message will appear stating engine off put car in p or n and I cannot accelerate.
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 94 | 1 |
| 2021 Soul | 238 | 2 |
| 2020 Soul | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2023 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 14 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2023 KIA Soul?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2023 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 2023 has far fewer 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.