Reliability & cost of ownership
Kia Soul EV Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kia Soul EV? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Kia Soul EV problems by model year
18 recall entries and 39 owner complaints on file across 6 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Soul EV | 3 | 3 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2018 Soul EV | 3 | 3 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2017 Soul EV | 3 | 18 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2016 Soul EV | 4 | 7 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2015 Soul EV | 4 | 6 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2014 Soul EV | 1 | 2 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kia Soul EV, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system17 complaints
- power train10 complaints
- service brakes6 complaints
- unknown or other6 complaints
- engine5 complaints
- visibility/wiper2 complaints
- air bags1 complaint
- vehicle speed control1 complaint