2020 Kia Soul: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 364 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
364
Complaints
1
Recalls
9
Crash reports
6
Fire reports
6
Injuries
120.9
Severity index
Severity index 120.9 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 103 2020 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2020 Kia Soul ranks 13 of 103 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 87% of its model-year peers. See the full 2020 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 226 | 62.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 88 | 24.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 49 | 13.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 27 | 7.4% |
| STEERING | 16 | 4.4% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 15 | 4.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 13 | 3.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 3.0% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 226 of 364 complaints (62.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 51 |
| 2021 | 69 |
| 2022 | 28 |
| 2023 | 45 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2025 | 72 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 46 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V259000 | 13/04/2021 | ENGINE | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage. |
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.