KIA Soul Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 180 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the KIA Soul across 15 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (33). The words owners use most often: “catalytic converter” (8% of reports).
- 180vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 13mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 38%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.
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 14 of 180 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 95 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 180 complaints, 13 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 7 an injury.
KIA Soul vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Soul | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Soul | 3 | 6% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Soul | 6 | 6% | 47,900 |
| 2020 Soul | 14 | 4% | 12,950 |
| 2019 Soul | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Soul | 8 | 4% | 22,500 |
| 2017 Soul | 8 | 3% | 6,500 |
| 2016 Soul | 33 | 4% | 68,000 |
| 2015 Soul | 30 | 3% | 92,500 |
| 2014 Soul | 31 | 3% | 76,000 |
| 2013 Soul | 17 | 3% | 25,000 |
| 2012 Soul | 10 | 2% | 112,650 |
| 2011 Soul | 8 | 4% | 79,000 |
| 2010 Soul | 9 | 7% | 47,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Model years: 2014, 2015
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
Risk: If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Whistling noise and problem with acceleration over 35mph and drifting uphill. Although VIN number did not appear on the listed recall, the repair work recommended and partially completed by Kia repair dealer points directly to the description of an oil consumption problem that includes the 2016 Kia…
This car was purchased in December of 2025 with 26K miles on it. There are stall issues when using the auto start stop feature. I had to power down the car and restart it up to get the car to move. It also will throw the check engine light code and then after you drive it, it goes away which makes…
Incident Overview & Vehicle Record Vehicle: 2016 Kia Soul Purchase Date: June 30, 2024 (Purchased from AutoNation Plano as 2nd owner) Incident Date: June 19, 2025 (Stalled on road at 113,000 miles) Current Location: Group1 Kia South Austin (Towed on July 8, 2025) Diagnosis: Severe internal engine…
COMPONENT FAILURE: The engine, power train, and speed control systems failed due to the known Nu 2.0L GDI connecting rod bearing defect. SAFETY RISK: My [XXX] daughter was driving in heavy rush-hour traffic when the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and entered a 20 MPH "limp mode." This sudden…
I can not gain speed. The dealership says itâs the catalytic converter and there is an active recall for this on Kia souls. They previously did recall work to my car but now the catalytic converters not showing as a recall
Frequently asked questions
Do all KIA Souls have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 180 owner complaints about vehicle speed control 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 vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the KIA Soul?
The most frequent phrase is “catalytic converter”, in 14 of 180 complaints.
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)
- Exterior Lighting problems (252)
- Air Bags problems (203)
See all KIA Soul problems.