Reliability & cost of ownership
Kia Soul Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kia Soul? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Kia Soul problems by model year
34 recall entries and 5381 owner complaints on file across 16 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 0 | 11 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Soul | 0 | 25 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Soul | 4 | 48 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Soul | 1 | 85 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2021 Soul | 2 | 211 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2020 Soul | 1 | 352 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 Soul | 1 | 128 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Soul | 1 | 205 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Soul | 1 | 267 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Soul | 2 | 787 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Soul | 4 | 885 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Soul | 5 | 885 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2013 Soul | 3 | 655 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Soul | 3 | 510 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 Soul | 3 | 193 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Soul | 3 | 134 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kia Soul, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine3027 complaints
- unknown or other610 complaints
- steering515 complaints
- electrical system510 complaints
- power train415 complaints
- engine and engine cooling389 complaints
- service brakes349 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system334 complaints