2022 Kia Soul: owner complaints and recalls

Analysis of 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.

88
Complaints
1
Recalls
4
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
8
Injuries
234.1
Severity index

Severity index 234.1 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.

Among the 96 2022 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2022 Kia Soul ranks 3 of 96 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 97% of its model-year peers. See the full 2022 ranking.

What actually fails

ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE5158.0%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1921.6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1213.6%
POWER TRAIN1213.6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1011.4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM78.0%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL66.8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE44.5%

The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 51 of 88 complaints (58.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.

Complaints filed per year

2021: 22022: 32023: 102024: 22025: 502026: 21212223242526
YearComplaints
20212
20223
202310
20242
202550
2026 (year to date)21
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 12.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
25V09900017/02/2025ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICALKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can 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.