Kia Soul years to avoid
Every Kia Soul model year on file (2012-2025), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2023
Worst year on file
152.6
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2021
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 Kia Soul | 152.6 High | 54 | Engine |
| 2 | 2022 Kia Soul | 137.6 High | 94 | Engine |
| 3 | 2018 Kia Soul | 105.6 High | 219 | Engine |
| 4 | 2019 Kia Soul | 105.0 High | 137 | Engine |
| 5 | 2020 Kia Soul | 102.9 High | 387 | Engine |
| 6 | 2015 Kia Soul | 99.7 High | 908 | Engine |
| 7 | 2017 Kia Soul | 98.1 High | 272 | Engine |
| 8 | 2012 Kia Soul | 94.3 High | 514 | Engine |
| 9 | 2014 Kia Soul | 88.7 High | 904 | Engine |
| 10 | 2013 Kia Soul | 81.5 High | 667 | Engine |
| 11 | 2025 Kia Soul | 68.7 Medium | 12 | Exterior Lighting |
| 12 | 2016 Kia Soul | 63.6 Medium | 823 | Engine |
| 13 | 2024 Kia Soul | 51.5 Medium | 30 | Unknown Or Other |
| 14 | 2021 Kia Soul | 49.4 Medium | 238 | Engine |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Kia Soul complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 514 | 3 | 25 | 23 | 94.3 High | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 667 | 3 | 22 | 46 | 81.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 904 | 5 | 34 | 69 | 88.7 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 908 | 4 | 36 | 84 | 99.7 High | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 823 | 2 | 29 | 35 | 63.6 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 272 | 1 | 17 | 14 | 98.1 High | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 219 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 105.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 137 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 105.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 387 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 102.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 238 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 49.4 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2022 | 94 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 137.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2023 | 54 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 152.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2024 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 51.5 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 68.7 Medium | EXTERIOR LIGHTING |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.