Kia
Kia Soul years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014, 2015 and 2016. Best years: 2019, 2023 and 2024.
The 2014, 2015 and 2016 Kia Soul draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 874 complaints (67 for each year on the road), 2015 has 897 complaints (75 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 814 complaints (74 for each year on the road), against a median of 27 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is engine failure (266 reports).
- 3,826complaints
- 8recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2014
Most reported: engine failure (245 reports, median 102,000 miles) and misfire (188 reports, median 106,000 miles).
2015
Most reported: engine failure (266 reports, median 89,000 miles) and misfire (213 reports, median 102,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: engine failure (227 reports, median 88,001 miles) and stalling (215 reports, median 85,607 miles).
Best years
2019
Most reported: oil consumption (37 reports, median 90,207 miles) and engine failure (36 reports, median 93,000 miles).
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Kia Soul year here: 897 of 3,826 (23%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: engine failure from 2014 to 2018; oil consumption in 2019; stalling from 2020 to 2021. Pooled across the years, half of the 693 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 89,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 10% of Kia Soul complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2019, 19 of its 136 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 5 of the 8 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system. The 2017, 2018 and 2019 have none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2021 at 531 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 451. So far in 2026, 320 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Second generation (PS)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 avoid | 874 | 67 | 5 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (245) | 90,000 |
| 2015 avoid | 897 | 75 | 4 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (266) | 87,648 |
| 2016 avoid | 814 | 74 | 2 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (227) | 83,000 |
| 2017 | 272 | 27 | 1 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (120) | 74,000 |
| 2018 | 218 | 24 | 1 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (73) | 63,000 |
| 2019 best | 136 | 17 | 1 | Burns oil or oil level rises (37) | 60,000 |
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2022 (88), 2023 (52), 2024 (29), 2025 (12).
Year by year
2021 Kia Soul
234 owner complaints, 39 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (99 reports, median 50,000 miles), engine failure (67 reports, median 67,533 miles) and misfire (61 reports, median 68,600 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 25V-099 on the engine and 21V-259 on the engine.
2020 Kia Soul
381 owner complaints, 54 for each year on the road (2.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (125 reports, median 26,000 miles), engine failure (86 reports, median 51,000 miles) and misfire (79 reports, median 64,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-259 on the engine.
2019 Kia Soul best
136 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: oil consumption (37 reports, median 90,207 miles), engine failure (36 reports, median 93,000 miles) and stalling (28 reports, median 70,000 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 1 recall: 22V-031 on the airbags.
2018 Kia Soul
218 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (73 reports, median 80,000 miles), stalling (40 reports, median 74,000 miles) and oil consumption (40 reports, median 53,000 miles). 14 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 1 recall: 22V-031 on the airbags.
2017 Kia Soul
272 owner complaints, 27 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (120 reports, median 80,000 miles), stalling (60 reports, median 75,000 miles) and misfire (51 reports, median 84,000 miles). 17 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 1 recall: 22V-031 on the airbags.
2016 Kia Soul avoid
814 owner complaints, 74 for each year on the road (2.7 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (227 reports, median 88,001 miles), stalling (215 reports, median 85,607 miles) and misfire (207 reports, median 93,000 miles). 28 reports involved a crash and 25 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 19V-120 on the engine and 17V-608 on the steering system.
2015 Kia Soul avoid
897 owner complaints, 75 for each year on the road (2.7 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (266 reports, median 89,000 miles), misfire (213 reports, median 102,000 miles) and stalling (185 reports, median 93,269 miles). 33 reports involved a crash and 32 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 20V-750 on the engine and 19V-120 on the engine.
2014 Kia Soul avoid
874 owner complaints, 67 for each year on the road (2.5 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (245 reports, median 102,000 miles), misfire (188 reports, median 106,000 miles) and stalling (187 reports, median 102,000 miles). 25 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 20V-750 on the engine and 19V-120 on the engine.
Recalls that cover several model years
The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
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.
The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
Questions
What Kia Soul years should you avoid?
The 2014, 2015 and 2016 Kia Soul draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 874 complaints (67 for each year on the road), 2015 has 897 complaints (75 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 814 complaints (74 for each year on the road), against a median of 27 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is engine failure (266 reports).
What are the best years for the Kia Soul?
The 2019, 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2019 has 136 (17 a year), 2023 has 52 (13 a year) and 2024 has 29 (10 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Kia Soul?
Engine failure, with 1,120 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Kia Soul have?
8 recall campaigns cover the Kia Soul model years 2014 to 2021 on this site. The widest, 17V-608 on the steering system, covers 3 model years.
How many Kia Soul complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
10% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2019 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Kia Soul?
On 5 of the 8 model years where owners report it: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020 and 2021.