2015 Kia Soul: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 898 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
898
Complaints
4
Recalls
36
Crash reports
81
Fire reports
32
Injuries
103.1
Severity index
Severity index 103.1 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Kia Soul ranks 36 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 75% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 625 | 69.6% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 107 | 11.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 76 | 8.5% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 76 | 8.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 62 | 6.9% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 57 | 6.3% |
| STEERING | 44 | 4.9% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 36 | 4.0% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 625 of 898 complaints (69.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 24 |
| 2016 | 24 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 136 |
| 2020 | 161 |
| 2021 | 143 |
| 2022 | 102 |
| 2023 | 112 |
| 2024 | 65 |
| 2025 | 54 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 26 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V750000 | 02/12/2020 | ENGINE | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving. |
| 19V120000 | 22/02/2019 | ENGINE | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of t |
| 17V608000 | 29/09/2017 | STEERING | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly. |
| 15V123000 | 02/03/2015 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.