- Safety
- 4
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 1
- on record
- MPG
- 29
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 8 reports involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Kia Soul
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 1
- Owner complaints
- 364
- Complaints citing a crash
- 9
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
1 Recall 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
1 NHTSA campaign affecting this model year.
- 21V259000high
Engine issue
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Kia Soul.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 3 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 14.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2020 Kia Soul 4 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 2020 Kia Soul, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
27
City
32
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,100
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 309 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2020 Kia Soul against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 309 grams per mile — about 4.6 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
364 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 364
- Total
- 9
- Crashes
- 6
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE283
- OTHER32
- STEERING13
- BRAKES11
- ELECTRICAL6
Serious Concerns
364 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 8 reports involve a death. 6 reports involve injuries. 9 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Kia Soul, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
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 (AM-S7)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
27
City
32
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,100
- 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 DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.