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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2023 Kia Soul

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

Compare
Safety
4
of 5 stars
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
30
combined

Fatalities reported

Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.

Vehicle Summary

2023 Kia Soul

4 recalls
48 complaints
30 MPG combined
4/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Check all recalls are completed
Review consumer complaints
Verify no crash-related complaints
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Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
48
Complaints citing a crash
5

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.

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

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 23V298000high

    Electrical issue

    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

    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 when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

  • 23V531000high

    Drivetrain issue

    POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

    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.

  • 23V830000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS

    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.

  • 25V099000high

    Engine issue

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

    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.

Consumer complaints

48 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

48
Total
5
Crashes
1
Fires
15
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE15
  • ELECTRICAL7
  • OTHER7
  • AIR BAGS5
  • BRAKES4

Serious Concerns

48 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 15 reports involve injuries. 5 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)15
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)7
miscellaneous issues7

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Small Station Wagons
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
2L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

28

City

33

Hwy

30

Comb

Annual cost
$2,000
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

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 AQ25001

    Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ25001

    Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness

  3. Recall

    Recall 25V099000

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

  4. Recall

    Recall 23V830000

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

  5. Recall

    Recall 23V531000

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