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 5520 owner complaints on file across 16 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 0 | 12 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Soul | 0 | 29 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Soul | 4 | 50 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Soul | 1 | 88 | 4.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2021 Soul | 2 | 232 | 4.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2020 Soul | 1 | 377 | 4.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2019 Soul | 1 | 136 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2018 Soul | 1 | 218 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2017 Soul | 1 | 271 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2016 Soul | 2 | 808 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2015 Soul | 4 | 897 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2014 Soul | 5 | 897 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2013 Soul | 3 | 662 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Soul | 3 | 514 | 4.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2011 Soul | 3 | 194 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Soul | 3 | 135 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
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.
- engine3111 complaints
- unknown or other636 complaints
- electrical system519 complaints
- steering518 complaints
- power train426 complaints
- engine and engine cooling405 complaints
- service brakes356 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system343 complaints