2023 KIA SOUL

4 recalls, 90 complaints - 35 TSBs - 4/5 safety rating

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Defect Description

Kia 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.

Consequence

Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for th... Read more

137,256 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

AIR BAGS

Defect Description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.

Consequence

An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.

2,967 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

Defect Description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.

Consequence

An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.

Remedy

Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia custome... Read more

39,765 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Defect Description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information ... Read more

Consequence

A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

108,936 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

90 total complaints 6 crashes 1 fires 2 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
ENGINE	11
POWER TRAIN	11
STEERING	8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	5
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING	3
AIR BAGS	3

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

While driving an alarm noise sounds and on the dash a message will appear stating engine off put car in p or n and I cannot accelerate.

Incident date: Jul 5, 2024

2023 Kia soul purchased brand new. Vehicle does not display speedometer, blinkers don't work, reverse camera doesn't work, nothing displays on dash, continuous alarm sound while vehicle is on. Having no indication of speed traveling or ability to signal turns is a safety concern. failure at approx... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2024

Incident date: May 9, 2026

My throttle got stuck and i hit a fence.

Crash

Incident date: May 9, 2026

On February 6, 2026, my wife was operating our 2026 Lucid Gravity when she shifted into reverse. The rearview/backup camera failed to activate on the center display. Simultaneously, the electronic gear selector became unresponsive and would not change gears. The combined failure resulted in a near-c... Read more

Incident date: May 9, 2026

Incident date: May 20, 2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding repeated windshield cracking on my new 2025 Ford Bronco. I purchased the vehicle approximately 2 months ago. Since purchase, the vehicle has experienced 3 separate windshield cracks under normal commuting use only. The vehicle has not been used off-road or in... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image would intermittently fail, flicker on and off, and at times display would appear upside down. The contact also stated th... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

ICCU unit of the car short circuited right in middle of driving and caused the car to go in "limp mode". Sudden pop noise and slowdown created situation where car could be rear-ended. The part has already caused recall for prior model years, but model year for my car is not included in the recall.... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

Problem: Engine rod knock that could be related to open investigation NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: PE25008 The vehicle is available for inspection. Risks: Engine stall, loss of power, fire, or total engine failure. The rod knock is reproduced every time the engine is started. It has not been confirm... Read more

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

On the week of 10/13/2025, I had an oil sensor alert appear after a recent oil change. I took the vehicle in on 10/30/2025 for a diagnostic check and was told the oil separator sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. After the service was completed, the total was $906.42 of which I paid $580... Read more

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

On September 17. 2025 I was at a red light on Normandie Avenue and Exposition Blvd the light turned green and as I was entering the intersection going southbound my doors on the vehicle started locking and un locking, my dashboard went black and the car shut off, The Braking system malfunction, the ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Dec 29, 2025

VEHICLE INFORMATION Vehicle: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox (Gas) Purchase Price: $46,000 In-Service Date: January 28, 2026 Current Mileage: 2,433 miles First Repair Attempt: Approximately 200 miles DEFECT DESCRIPTION (SAFETY-CRITICAL) The vehicle experiences intermittent but recurring safety system failur... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

The entire instrument cluster failed on my 2020 Jeep Wrangler and had to be completely replaced at the dealer. One day, when starting the vehicle, the entire cluster was off with no advanced warnings, no speedometer, no fuel gauge, no warning lights, no odometer, and no information display of any ki... Read more

Incident date: Sep 20, 2025

I am submitting an update regarding my 2023 Kia K5 (VIN: [XXX] ). •On July 25, 2025, I delivered the vehicle to my dealership for recall-related fuel tank issues. •As of today (61 days later), the vehicle remains out of service and undrivable. •The dealership opened a Kia Techline case, confir... Read more

Incident date: Sep 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While the contact's husband was driving 80 MPH, the liftgate independently unlatched. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's overnight bag flew out of the back of the vehicle. The contact stated that her prescription medications were in the ove... Read more

Incident date: Sep 20, 2025

Tire wore to 2/32” in less than 17,000 miles. Belt wires showing from the sidewalls. Submitted a claim to Nexen and they cited excessive off-road use and overinflation as the cause. Neither of these is true. This vehicle has only been used for rural mail delivery on paved or dirt roads Claim d... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2025

The car randomly stopped while I was going 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. The car then would not allow me to move off of the high way or put the care in neutral. The car just stopped while merging on to the highway at 50 mph. It’s unsafe for myself and others The dealer has not been able to reproduce t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2025

Failing fuel pump

Incident date: Aug 27, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V302000 (Air Bags). The contact called a local dealer and the manufacturer for information on parts availability but was advised that another letter indicating when the parts were available would... Read more

Incident date: Jun 21, 2023

On 09/18 , I was using the Smart Summon feature of my Tesla Model S in the parking lot of Costco, Greenwood (Indianapolis, IN). The intent was to have the vehicle autonomously navigate from its parked spot toward my location, as designed and advertised by Tesla. During the Summon operation: 1.The v... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jun 21, 2023

My vehicle fuel pump control module has failed. GMC has an open recall for my year, make and model however claims that my vehicle is not listed on the recall list that came out around 9/15/2025. I contacted GMC and they cannot provide me with a specific reason as to why it’s not included.

Incident date: Jun 21, 2023

Crash

Incident date: Sep 4, 2025

The truck has 66,500 miles. One of our employees was driving and had the harmonic balancer bolt back out and harmonic balancer fell off. Truck has been sent to Midway Ford in Roseville, MN for repair.

Incident date: Aug 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Rivian R1S. The contact stated received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V085000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted abo... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The vehicle was shifted into neutral, and the RPMs revved up. The vehicle failed to move forward and shut off unintendedly. Several hours later, the vehicle was restarted. ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2025

My car has lost steering And idk what's wrong with it It's throwing a code on the dash that says steering assist fault code

Incident date: May 23, 2025

While diving at highway speeds (first at 55mph in may 2025 and then again in July 2025 at 65mph) I got a warning on screen about power loss and a critical failure and that power will be reduced and to stop at the side of the road. Within 30 seconds or a minute of the warning the car power cut out si... Read more

Incident date: Feb 18, 2025

The vehicle was experiencing judder on two recent occasions. The vehicle was just over 90K miles and due for a CVT fluid inspection. After experiencing brief but violent jerks/judders while operating between 1,500 and 2,000 rpms, I took the vehicle into the Nissan dealership for said fluid inspectio... Read more

Incident date: Jan 7, 2025

While using the summon feature from my iPhone with the Tesla application my car drove into my house causing damage. I have video of this from my camera doorbell of the incident. I work in mobile application development and was told this was user error by Tesla when it first occurred.

Crash

Incident date: Dec 14, 2024

The fuel tank is leaking where the fill tube enters the tank on the drivers side. It was at the dealership for this issue once. A hose clamp was found to be loose. It was tightened and considered fixed. Just tonight while.the truck had a full.tank I decided to inspect the repair. I found it to be le... Read more

Incident date: Dec 14, 2024

Lethal death wobble , could have easily crashed on the interstate without having both hands on the wheel. This is insane, had the front track bar and front steering stabilizer replaced, still no fix.

Incident date: Nov 11, 2024

I had just completed filling my car with gas and was still parked at the gas pump. The gas cap had been replaced and I got back into the car and started it. I thought that the engine had fully started, but when I shifted into drive, the engine sputtered a little. I put it back in park, and attemp... Read more

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

While driving, the dash warning "service power steering" light up and my steering wheel locked making me unable to steer or manuever the car to safety. I was stuck in the middle of the road. I turned it off and on and was able to make it to a parking lot where the same safety messages illuminated fo... Read more

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

Both my rear windows have a haze on them, which interferes with my visibility in direct sun.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2024

The coolant thermostat was broken and gave two check engine codes P0128 and P0128P. AC was not functioning when the thermostat was not working, which can be dangerous in summer. It is also a very common problem with Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia.

Incident date: Jun 20, 2024

The instrument panel intermittently blacks out during vehicle startup or while driving. I haven't had my vehicle for 30 days and it's happened many many times, almost caused an accident due to the distraction it has caused. No warning signs prior to the screen blacking out. Service calibrated/reprog... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2024

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

Steering wheel wrapping is prematurely peeling due to the material used. I’ve seen and heard many complaints about this. Cars are only a few years old.

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

This event has happen 5 times in the last 8 months. While driving (under 30 miles per hr.) car suddenly seems to disengage from the engine . I no longer have acceleration and the engines RPMs increase while stepping on the gas. Stepping off the gas petal will lower the RPMs but the car slows down... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

Incident date: May 22, 2023

There has been numerous battery drains, can't charge phone without draining battery. I got and error code P062F Internal Control Module EEPROM. ERROR. and a battery power supply error code

Incident date: May 2, 2024

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel Replacement

Incident date: May 2, 2024

Power train: Automatic transmission: Fluid/lubricant: Pump Replacement

Incident date: May 2, 2024

When modifying the "Beep" volume which is tied to the audio beep when locking or unlocking the car, the car will then turn off the wireless ability read the key fob when using it to lock or unlock the car. The proximity feature will still function and you are still able to start the car. But you w... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2024

1.The airbags did not deploy, possibly missing. 2. I suffered injury and crashed into a building. I was hit. 3. Vehicle was inspected by the Hertz Rental Car. 4. Do not remember any messages.

Crash Fire 1 injured

Incident date: May 2, 2024

I became the owner of a 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid in 2016. At first there was no issues. Roughly a couple of months later, there was a power steering issue- so the car was driven to Ford with great difficulty where they reset the sensor or something and the power steering was working again. Now a coup... Read more

Showing 50 of 90 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2023 KIA SOUL

2023 Kia Soul SUV FWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Passenger	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Rollover Risk	14.7%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard & Optional
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

EPA Fuel Economy, 2023 KIA SOUL

Trim / Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG	Fuel Type	Annual Fuel Cost
2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios) (Front-Wheel Drive)	28.0	33.0	30.0	Regular	$2,050

CO2 Emissions: 301.0 g/mile (Small Station Wagons)

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Actual fuel economy may vary based on driving conditions.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2023 KIA SOUL

35 manufacturer communications from 20 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	14
060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	3
350000 EQUIPMENT	2
030000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC	2
160000 STRUCTURE	2
251000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)	2
020000 SUSPENSION	1
116000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION	1

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: DISPLAY AUDIO 2.0/AVN5W SOFTWARE UPDATE (SA569) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on Display Audio 2.0 (D2V) and 5th Generation AVN Wide (AVN5W) head units on certain 202

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. Th

160000 STRUCTURE

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (B

020000 SUSPENSION

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: UNEVEN/SLIPPERY ROAD WARNING DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page

353400 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The a

350000 EQUIPMENT

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

350000 EQUIPMENT

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive'

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin pr

030000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BRAKE AIR BLEEDING PROCEDURE FOR ESC HONKING NOISE AND SOFT/SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black ba

251000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

330000 INTERIOR LIGHTING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OVERHEAD CONSOLE SUNGLASS DOOR-LATCH REPAIR - This bulletin provides information to repair the overhead console lamp assembly and sunglass door latch on some 2012-2023MY model vehicles listed in the table below,

171200 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

163400 STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:SUN VISOR

160000 STRUCTURE

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system

116000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

081100 FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC23) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the mar

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: CLUSTER LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ADAS ALERT VOLUME CHANGE (SA517) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black ba

030000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BRAKE AIR BLEEDING PROCEDURE FOR ESC HONKING NOISE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This b

251000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: CLUSTER LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ADAS ALERT VOLUME CHANGE (SA517) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Cluster (CLU) system on some 2023MY vehicles to allow the

117000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

100000 POWER TRAIN

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmis

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OIL LIFE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (OLMS) AND MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - This bulletin provides information regarding the new Oil Life Management System (OLMS) Maintenance Reminder Setting feature available on some 2

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This bulletin provides inform

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides the procedure to turn OFF the service reminder lamp, at the first service interval reminder alert that will display on the instrument cluster. The

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PITSTOP: REAR OCCUPANT ALERT (ROA) W/REAR DOOR LOGIC - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This Pitstop provides informatio

220000 SEATS

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC23) - This bulletin provides information related to extracting in use performance tracking emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certa

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA SOUL

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2010

Steering Shaft Separation

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of a single complaint on the subject vehicles that alleges the hand wheel became mechanically de-coupled from the road wheels when the intermediate steering shaft universal joint separated from the upper steering column.It appears that the intermedi... Read more

KIA SOUL - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the KIA SOUL across all model years (2010, 2023).

34 Total Recalls

7,562 Total Complaints

1 Investigations

447 Reported Crashes

371 Reported Fires

10 Reported Deaths

KIA SOUL - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2025	0	21	View
2024	0	42	View
2023 (current)	4	90
2022	1	132	View
2021	2	314	View
2020	1	505	View
2019	1	198	View
2018	1	298	View
2017	1	356	View
2016	2	1,148	View
2015	4	1,223	View
2014	5	1,228	View
2013	3	868	View
2012	3	673	View
2011	3	271	View
2010	3	195	View

Other KIA Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
SORENTO	188	13,593	View
SPORTAGE	165	6,601	View
SEDONA	118	3,350	View
OPTIMA	100	10,128	View
TELLURIDE	70	2,186	View
SORENTO HYBRID	62	159	View
SOUL EV	62	50	View
FORTE	56	3,494	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2023 KIA SOUL

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2023 KIA SOUL

Safety Technology

EPA Fuel Economy, 2023 KIA SOUL

Technical Service Bulletins, 2023 KIA SOUL

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA SOUL

KIA SOUL - All Years Overview

KIA SOUL - Year by Year

Other KIA Models