Kia Soul 2010–2013
1st generation (AM)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20262,002 complaints, 1,198 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 30,000 and 125,822 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 33 complaints (2.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 5,000
- 25%
- 30,000
- Median
- 79,897
- 75%
- 125,822
- 90%
- 158,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 152 | 12.7% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 81 | 6.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 59 | 4.9% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 52 | 4.3% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 44 | 3.7% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 60 | 5.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 73 | 6.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 78 | 6.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 60 | 5.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 74 | 6.2% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 60 | 5.0% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 72 | 6.0% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 48 | 4.0% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 65 | 5.4% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 45 | 3.8% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 66 | 5.5% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 25 | 2.1% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 21 | 1.8% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 15 | 1.3% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 15 | 1.3% |
| 200,000+ | 33 | 2.8% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,002 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010–2013 Kia Soul, and 1,198 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 30,000 and 125,822 miles. The median is 79,897 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine (26.2% of complaints, typically around 117,000 miles), the steering (16.6% of complaints, typically around 68,000 miles), the electrical system (8.3% of complaints, typically around 65,000 miles).
5 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine117,000median 117,000 miles, middle half 81,000 to 143,000
- Steering68,000median 68,000 miles, middle half 40,000 to 96,000
- Electrical system65,000median 65,000 miles, middle half 20,000 to 100,000
- Hydraulic brake circuit123,000median 122,746 miles, middle half 87,000 to 152,000
- Problems owners could not categorise93,000median 93,340 miles, middle half 52,000 to 144,000
- Engine and its cooling system136,000median 136,500 miles, middle half 106,000 to 159,000
- Airbag system54,000median 54,000 miles, middle half 21,000 to 80,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 524 | 26.2% | 117,000 | 81,000–143,000 |
| Steering | 332 | 16.6% | 68,000 | 40,000–96,000 |
| Electrical system | 166 | 8.3% | 65,000 | 20,000–100,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 136 | 6.8% | 123,000 | 87,000–152,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 132 | 6.6% | 93,000 | 52,000–144,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 85 | 4.2% | 136,000 | 106,000–159,000 |
| Airbag system | 80 | 4.0% | 54,000 | 21,000–80,000 |
| Body structure | 67 | 3.3% | 19,000 | 3,000–66,000 |
| Brakes | 66 | 3.3% | 55,000 | 13,000–78,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 59 | 2.9% | 56,000 | 16,000–100,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 79,897 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 26.2% of complaints (524 reports, 333 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 117,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 81,000 and 143,449 miles.
A single system taking 26.2% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The steering accounts for 16.6% of complaints (332 reports, 187 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 68,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,983 and 96,500 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 8.3% of complaints (166 reports, 89 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 99,700 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 6.8% of complaints (136 reports, 41 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 122,746 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 87,000 and 152,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 6.6% of complaints (132 reports, 58 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 93,340 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 144,124 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 4.2% of complaints (85 reports, 68 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 136,500 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 106,000 and 159,203 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2013 model year drew the most — 866 complaints — while 2010 drew the fewest at 193. The median year sits at 471.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 5 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 2,002 complaints filed against this generation, 147 reported a crash; 126 reported a fire; 148 reported an injury; 4 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 7.3% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 30,000 and 125,822 miles, with a median of 79,897. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and the steering are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The steering in particular shows a median failure mileage of 68,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine / Exhaust 2012–2013
1.6L Gamma GDI: high exhaust gas temperatures overheat the catalytic converter, causing abnormal combustion that damages pistons and can break a connecting rod, puncturing the block. The escaping oil onto hot exhaust creates a fire risk. Recall 19V-120 (February 2019, ~379,000 vehicles) reflashed the catalytic overheating protection ECU logic and replaced damaged converters and engines.
Steering
Electric power steering assist loss complaints across the generation.
Anti-Theft
Trims without an engine immobilizer are easily stolen, driving a large theft loss pattern.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 193 | 148 |
| 2011 | 270 | 183 |
| 2012 | 673 | 397 |
| 2013 | 866 | 470 |
Recalls (5)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 23V652000 | 2024-03-29 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module |
| 19V120000 | 2019-04-17 | Engine |
| 14V822000 | 2015-01-29 | Structure:body:roof and Pillars |
| 13V114000 | 2013-04-19 | Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch |
| 10V388000 | 2010-09-13 | Electrical System:wiring |
What owners reported
2010 Kia Soul 5 door wagon 2.0 L mt 5 speed transmission the car over revs between shifts and has a soft brake pedal that goes to the floor and as your brake pedal goes down at stops your foot touches the foot feed and causes the car to revs up while stopping. I have made many visits to Kia in lake manawa Kia in…
2010 · 4 miles · Throttle and speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 2010 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine revs excessively whenever the accelerator pedal is released. The rpms will go from 1,500 to 3,000. The dealer stated that they would investigate the issue. A representative inspected the vehicle and stated that it was not a serious safety…
2010 · 5 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Within a week of taking delivery on 7/24/09, the interior and most especially the door skins were already acquiring marks and scratches - a slight finger nail scratch required a special product to remove etc. There have been a few intermittent problems. 1. When releasing the clutch pedal there was a noise that sounded…
2010 · 100 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 1,198 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page