2020 Kia Soul: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 458 complaints
458
Total Complaints
12,000mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
12
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

4,600 25th Percentile
12,000 Median Mileage
28,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine
205
Power Train
82
Unknown Or Other
46
Electrical System
25
Steering
16
Fuel/Propulsion System
14
Vehicle Speed Control
12
Service Brakes
10
Body
7
Engine And Engine Cooling
6

Severity Assessment

12
Crashes
9
Fires
7
Injuries
16
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I LEARNED THE CAR HORN ON MY 2020 KIA SOUL DID NOT WORK WHILE ON A HIGHWAY AND CLOSE TO BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. I TRIED TO USE HORN TO ALERT THE OTHER DRIVER AND IT FAILED. I CONTACTED DEALER SERVICE DEPT FOR ASSISTANCE AND HAD TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND THEY ADVISED ME THE HORN SYSTEM FAIL..."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A P..."
"PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEED - APPROX 45MPH. SEVERE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY DID HAVE A NEW-ENOUGH MACHINE TO ALIGN THE CAR. HOW CAN KIA OF IRVINE, NOT HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO FIX THE CARS THEY SELL? INSIDE REAR COWLING THAT GOES AROUND THE SMALL PORTAL WINDOW ON T..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 205 complaints
25th: 8,549 mi Median: 21,058 mi 75th: 69,000 mi
Power Train 82 complaints
25th: 3,900 mi Median: 8,850 mi 75th: 16,000 mi
Unknown Or Other 46 complaints
25th: 2,348 mi Median: 5,250 mi 75th: 11,250 mi
Electrical System 25 complaints
25th: 12,050 mi Median: 21,632 mi 75th: 58,462 mi
Steering 16 complaints
25th: 200 mi Median: 4,000 mi 75th: 9,200 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 69 TX: 34 GA: 30 CA: 28 NY: 26 VA: 21 SC: 21 NC: 17 KY: 17 AL: 17

Who Files Complaints?

0.9%
Original Owners
99.1%
Second+ Owners

Kia Soul — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
201019231
201127043
201266341
201385032
2014120352
2015119659
2016110334
201733821
201826819
201918020
202125724
20221124
2023819
2024320

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Engine
Campaign 21V259000 | 13/04/2021
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
  • Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
  • Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
  • Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
  • Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
  • Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28