- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 26
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2015 Kia Soul
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 898
- Complaints citing a crash
- 36
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 20V750000high
Engine issue
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.
Consequence
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
- 19V120000high
Engine issue
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 the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
Consequence
Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
- 17V608000high
Steering issue
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.
Consequence
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
- 15V123000high
Vehicle speed control · accelerator pedal
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.
Consequence
If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2015 Kia Soul.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 14.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2015 Kia Soul 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 14.7% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2015 Kia Soul, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
24
City
30
Hwy
26
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,350
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 335 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2015 Kia Soul against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 335 grams per mile — about 5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
898 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 898
- Total
- 36
- Crashes
- 81
- Fires
- 32
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE661
- OTHER60
- ELECTRICAL40
- BRAKES30
- STEERING26
Serious Concerns
898 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 32 reports involve injuries. 36 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2015 Kia Soul, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE19004
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
- Recall
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP18003
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE19004
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
- Recall
Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP18003
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
- Recall
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Small Station Wagons
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 1.6L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
24
City
30
Hwy
26
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,350
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE19004
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
- Recall
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP18003
Non-crash Vehicle Fires