NHTSA Safety Recalls
Kia Soul Recalls by Year
NHTSA's files hold 15 recall campaigns for the Kia Soul, across 14 model years from 2010 to 2023. The 2014 has the most (5); the fewest among years with a recall is 2022 (1).
Kia Soul years to avoid by our method: 2020 (3.5× the median year).
- Model years
- 14
- Recall campaigns
- 15
- Most recalls
- 2014
- Owner complaints
- 5,576
2010–2023, with a recall
5 recalls
all model years, NHTSA
Owners have filed 5,576 complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Soul across 16 model years; the most, 902, concern the 2015.
Owners marked a crash on 267 of the Kia Soul complaints (5%) and a fire on 325.
Across all Kia Soul model years, owners name the engine most often (at least 3,141 complaints), then the electrical system (520).
NHTSA received the most complaints about the Kia Soul in 2019: 693, across all model years.
The component recalled most often on the Kia Soul is engine, in 9 model-year listings.
The newest Kia Soul recall, 25V099000, was reported on February 17, 2025 and concerns the engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical.
Kia Soul years to avoid
The 2020 Kia Soul stands out most: 210 complaints between 2019 and 2023, 63% of them naming the engine.
The best-measured Kia Soul years are 2019 (0.5×), 2022 (0.8×) and 2017 (0.8×).
The ranking uses owner complaints in each model year's first years on the road, adjusted for NHTSA's complaint volume for that model year. It is not adjusted for sales and is not a reliability rating. Method
Recalls and complaints by model year
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | First years | vs median year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 12 | — | not ranked |
| 2024 | 0 | 30 | — | not ranked |
| 2023 | 4 | 54 | — | not ranked |
| 2022 | 1 | 95 | 67 | 0.8× |
| 2021 | 2 | 238 | 69 | 1.0× |
| 2020avoid | 1 | 388 | 210 | 3.5× |
| 2019 | 1 | 137 | 34 | 0.5× |
| 2018 | 1 | 219 | 76 | 1.0× |
| 2017 | 1 | 272 | 63 | 0.8× |
| 2016 | 2 | 816 | 118 | 1.5× |
| 2015 | 4 | 902 | 95 | 1.3× |
| 2014 | 5 | 902 | 105 | 1.4× |
| 2013 | 3 | 667 | 67 | 0.9× |
| 2012 | 3 | 515 | 61 | 0.9× |
| 2011 | 3 | 194 | 59 | 1.0× |
| 2010 | 3 | 135 | 77 | 1.3× |
First years: complaints received from the year before the model year to three years after it.Kia Soul years without a link have no recall page on this site.
What gets recalled most on the Kia Soul
- ENGINE9
- AIR BAGS4
- STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS4
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE3
- STEERING3
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL3
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL2
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH2
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP1
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1
Kia Soul model-year listings per recall component; one campaign can cover several years.
Every Kia Soul recall campaign (15)
| Campaign | Component | Years | Risk named | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V099000February 17, 2025 | engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical | 2021–2023 | crash, fire and injury | 137,256 |
| 23V830000December 22, 2023 | air bags | 2023 | crash and injury | 2,967 |
| 23V652000September 25, 2023 | service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module | 2011–2013 | fire and injurypark outside | 1,730,192 |
| 23V531000July 31, 2023 | power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: pump | 2023 | firepark outside | 39,765 |
| 23V298000April 26, 2023 | electrical system: instrument cluster/panel | 2023 | crash | 108,936 |
| 22V096000February 18, 2022 | air bags: frontal | 2014 | crash and injury | 128,280 |
| 22V031000January 25, 2022 | air bags | 2017–2019 | crash and injury | 410,619 |
| 21V259000April 13, 2021 | engine | 2020–2021 | crash and fire | 147,249 |
| 20V750000December 2, 2020 | engine | 2014–2015 | fire and injury | 294,756 |
| 19V120000February 22, 2019 | engine | 2012–2016 | crash and fire | 378,967 |
| 17V608000September 29, 2017 | steering | 2014–2016 | crash | 342,381 |
| 15V123000March 2, 2015 | vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal | 2014–2015 | crash | 208,858 |
| 14V822000December 29, 2014 | structure: body: roof and pillars | 2010–2013 | crash and injury | 95,314 |
| 13V114000April 1, 2013 | exterior lighting: brake lights: switch | 2010–2011 | crash | 980,377 |
| 10V388000August 31, 2010 | electrical system: wiring | 2010 | fire | 35,185 |
Vehicles: NHTSA's count of potentially affected vehicles in the whole campaign, not only the Kia Soul. Each campaign page has the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words.
Newest record on this page: October 22, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted