FaultScore

Worst years for a KIA Soul

Owners have filed 7,523 complaints about the KIA Soul with NHTSA across model years 2010 to 2025. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2015 KIA Soul

1,222 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2024 KIA Soul

42 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every KIA Soul year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2025 B 21 4 0 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2024 A 42 0 3 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2023 C 86 12 3 17,000 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2022 B 133 5 1 51,000 Engine & Cooling
2021 C 310 24 4 46,250 Engine & Cooling
2020 C 499 12 9 12,650 Engine & Cooling
2019 C 196 20 12 46,200 Engine & Cooling
2018 C 292 19 20 54,050 Engine & Cooling
2017 C 355 21 19 73,000 Engine & Cooling
2016 D 1,142 34 59 80,459 Engine & Cooling
2015 F 1,222 59 113 87,000 Engine & Cooling
2014 F 1,223 52 110 85,000 Engine & Cooling
2013 D 866 32 64 98,000 Engine & Cooling
2012 D 673 41 31 90,000 Engine & Cooling
2011 C 270 43 7 50,000 Brakes
2010 C 193 31 24 20,500 Electrical System

What breaks on a KIA Soul

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 3,505 46.6%

Worst in 2015

Worst in 2016

Worst in 2014

Steering 517 6.9%

Worst in 2012

Worst in 2020

Worst in 2015

Brakes 357 4.7%

Worst in 2013

Lights 258 3.4%

Worst in 2014

Airbags 199 2.6%

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2014

Body & Structure 136 1.8%

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2023

Suspension 58 0.8%

Worst in 2011

Exactly what failed on a KIA Soul

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 106 38.0%
Catalytic Convertor 86 30.8%
Warnings 22 7.9%
Automatic Emergency Braking 13 4.7%
Headlights 13 4.7%
Adaptive Cruise Control 10 3.6%
Assist 8 2.9%
Accelerator Pedal 8 2.9%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly 7 2.5%
Oil/Lubrication 6 2.2%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every KIA Soul, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jul 2009 peak 116 Aug 2026

KIA Soul problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the KIA Soul

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.