Kia Soul 2020–2025
3rd generation (SK3)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,082 complaints, 340 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 43% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 7 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 43% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 1 complaints (0.3%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 631
- 25%
- 5,000
- Median
- 16,500
- 75%
- 68,600
- 90%
- 96,467
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 129 | 37.9% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 48 | 14.1% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 31 | 9.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 19 | 5.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 12 | 3.5% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 8 | 2.4% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 15 | 4.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 12 | 3.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 17 | 5.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 17 | 5.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 8 | 2.4% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 7 | 2.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 4 | 1.2% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 6 | 1.8% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 3 | 0.9% |
| 200,000+ | 1 | 0.3% |
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 1,082 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Kia Soul, and 340 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
43% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 7 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (39.2% of complaints, typically around 23,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (12.3% of complaints, typically around 9,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (10.2% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles).
5 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine23,000median 22,510 miles, middle half 8,000 to 79,000
- Transmission and driveline9,000median 9,100 miles, middle half 4,000 to 18,000
- Problems owners could not categorise6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 2,500 to 12,000
- Electrical system17,000median 17,450 miles, middle half 4,000 to 45,000
- Engine and its cooling system75,000median 75,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 95,000
- Steering4,500median 4,407 miles, middle half 400 to 14,000
- Throttle and speed control13,000median 13,400 miles, middle half 8,000 to 30,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 424 | 39.2% | 23,000 | 8,000–79,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 133 | 12.3% | 9,000 | 4,000–18,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 110 | 10.2% | 6,000 | 2,500–12,000 |
| Electrical system | 75 | 6.9% | 17,000 | 4,000–45,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 74 | 6.8% | 75,000 | 51,000–95,000 |
| Steering | 36 | 3.3% | 4,500 | 400–14,000 |
| Brakes | 34 | 3.1% | — | — |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 33 | 3.0% | — | — |
| Forward collision avoidance | 31 | 2.9% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 24 | 2.2% | 13,000 | 8,000–30,000 |
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 16,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 39.2% of complaints (424 reports, 106 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 22,510 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 79,000 miles.
A single system taking 39.2% 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 transmission and driveline accounts for 12.3% of complaints (133 reports, 68 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 9,100 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,175 and 18,155 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 10.2% of complaints (110 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,298 and 12,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 6.9% of complaints (75 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 17,450 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,000 and 45,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 6.8% of complaints (74 reports, 61 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 75,000 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 51,000 and 95,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 3.3% of complaints (36 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 4,407 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 400 and 14,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 495 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 21. The median year sits at 109.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 4.5 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
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 1,082 complaints filed against this generation, 57 reported a crash; 20 reported a fire; 72 reported an injury; 22 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 5.3% 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, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 43% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 9,100, 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
Transmission
IVT (chain-type CVT) behaviour complaints — droning, hesitation and shudder — replacing the previous conventional automatic.
Anti-Theft 2020–2021
Early cars lacking an engine immobilizer are highly theft-prone; Kia made immobilizers standard partway through the generation and issued a software countermeasure for earlier units.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 495 | 219 |
| 2021 | 306 | 81 |
| 2022 | 133 | 27 |
| 2023 | 86 | 11 |
| 2024 | 41 | 2 |
| 2025 | 21 | 0 |
Recalls (5)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 25V099000 | 2025-04-04 | Engine and Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/Mechanical |
| 23V830000 | 2024-01-31 | Air Bags |
| 23V531000 | 2023-09-28 | Power Train:automatic Transmission:fluid/Lubricant:pump |
| 23V298000 | 2023-05-26 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel |
| 21V259000 | 2021-06-11 | Engine |
What owners reported
The idle stop - start system seems to be broken. Whenever i pull up to a light and stop the engine shuts off. Then, when i try to accelerate the engine starts but the calibers lock up on the disc creating a loud groaning sound. It causes the car to shutter and barely go forward. Additionally, the car consistently…
2020 · 15 miles · Engine
I purchased a 2020 Kia Soul barely 3 weeks ago. First issue is the front lights. They are constantly foggy and with humidity. Took car to the dealer and was initially told that it would clear up once high beams are turned on for 30 minutes which is unrealistic as you can't have your high beams on when there are cars…
2020 · 20 miles · Seats
Vehicle pulls sharply and abruptly to the right at speeds above 45-50. When i test drove the vehicle, i mentioned to the salesman that i thought it was pulling to the right, of course he didn't feel it, but would have it checked. After purchasing the vehicle in april, and owning it about 7 months, this problem is…
2020 · 32 miles · Steering
Built from 340 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page