KIA Soul Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 252 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the KIA Soul across 15 model years. The 2014 model year has the most (130). The words owners use most often: “headlights flicker” (10% of reports).
- 252exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Headlights flicker: mentioned in 26 of 252 complaints (10%)
- Using turn: mentioned in 20 of 252 complaints (8%)
- Side headlight: mentioned in 20 of 252 complaints (8%)
- Low beam: mentioned in 20 of 252 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 176 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 252 complaints, 5 a fire.
KIA Soul exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 4 | 33% | — |
| 2024 Soul | 2 | 7% | 5,000 |
| 2023 Soul | 4 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Soul | 6 | 3% | 814 |
| 2020 Soul | 6 | 2% | 4,800 |
| 2019 Soul | 5 | 4% | 50,000 |
| 2018 Soul | 4 | 2% | 30,250 |
| 2017 Soul | 1 | 0% | 63,000 |
| 2016 Soul | 18 | 2% | 50,415 |
| 2015 Soul | 36 | 4% | 80,750 |
| 2014 Soul | 130 | 14% | 67,005 |
| 2013 Soul | 10 | 2% | 80,000 |
| 2012 Soul | 10 | 2% | 17,000 |
| 2011 Soul | 13 | 7% | 106,000 |
| 2010 Soul | 3 | 2% | 106,296 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Model years: 2010, 2011
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2023 Kia soul purchased brand new. Vehicle does not display speedometer, blinkers don't work, reverse camera doesn't work, nothing displays on dash, continuous alarm sound while vehicle is on. Having no indication of speed traveling or ability to signal turns is a safety concern. failure at…
My 2021 Kia Soul has stalled unexpectedly while being driven on multiple occasions. When the vehicle stalls, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses propulsion, creating a risk of a collision, particularly if it occurs in moving traffic. There have been no warning lights or messages before the…
Nothing happened - YET. I'm reporting a manufacturing error. Refer to my upload. I wouldn't be suprised that this defect has been the root cause of some accidents though.
When I turn my steering wheel left or right there is a very large margin before the tires turn it rattles back and forth back and forth as I'm driving down the street no control for at least three degrees and either direction, also my front of the vehicle turn signals pop out and fall out to the…
My KIA Soul 2018 caught on file while driving. The whole engine was in flames. I didn't want to die because my car has a manufacturing issue that KIA was not aware about. The dealership I've purchased the car from denied to give me a copy of the mechanical inspection done at the dealership…
Frequently asked questions
Do all KIA Souls have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 252 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the KIA Soul. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the KIA Soul exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the KIA Soul?
The most frequent phrase is “headlights flicker”, in 26 of 252 complaints, followed by “using turn” (20).
Other KIA Soul problems
- Engine problems (3,145)
- Electrical System problems (520)
- Steering problems (519)
- Power Train problems (432)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (407)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (346)
- Air Bags problems (203)
- Service Brakes problems (202)
See all KIA Soul problems.