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2020 Kia Soul

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
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.

Recalls1
Complaints363
Safety
Fuel

Vehicle Summary

2020 Kia Soul

1 recall
363 complaints
29 MPG combined
4/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

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Review consumer complaints
Verify no crash-related complaints
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Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
1
Owner complaints
363
Complaints citing a crash
9

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalised 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

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.

Consumer complaints

363 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

363
Total
9
Crashes
6
Fires
6
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE282
  • OTHER32
  • STEERING13
  • BRAKES11
  • ELECTRICAL6

Serious Concerns

363 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 8 reports involve a death. 6 reports involve injuries. 9 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)282
miscellaneous issues32
steering issues (play, noise, loss of assist)13

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
$2,050
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Data sources

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Kia Soul years

Common problems

Kia Soul problems

3,073 owner complaints analysed

Compare with

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  3. Recall

    Recall 21V259000

    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.