Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Soul, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine244
- Power train91
- Unknown or other52
- Electrical system28
- Steering16
- Fuel/propulsion system15
- Vehicle speed control14
- Engine and engine cooling11
- Service brakes10
- Structure10
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 8 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 91 2020 Soul vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 53 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 Kia Soul failed the safety check 1.36% of the time — 16% more often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 34,051 miles.
14,965first inspections
1.36%failed on safety
34,051 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2020
7,730 new Kia Soul cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2020; the largest markets were Germany (2,362), Norway (1,758), the United Kingdom (884).
- Average mass
- 1,753 kg
- Average CO₂
- 0 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 119 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Electric 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
690 first registered in 2020 are on Dutch roads; 15% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €44,040.
46.1%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022
98.3%logical odometer history
0.6%with a recall still open
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde399
- Band onvoldoende profiel120
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld107
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht81
- Band beschadigd59
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm36
- Gordel beschadigd26
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt24
Colours
White 29%Grey 26%Black 23%Blue 12%Orange 5%Red 4%
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
849 cars built in 2020 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 4 more were declared off the road (SORN).
849licensed, end of 2025
100%of those still registered are on the road
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 869 of these cars first registered in 2020 took their annual MOT test. 93% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2020 the figure was 88%.
93%passed first time
88%all cars from 2020
23,100 miaverage mileage at the test (all cars 26,000 mi)
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.3% | 4.9% |
| Visibility | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0.9% | 3.0% |
| Brakes | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| Steering | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.2% | 0.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
71 of these cars first registered in 2020 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 79,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
3 2020 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 0 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Kia Soul SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | 14.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 7.9–8.7 L/100 km (about 27–30 mpg US), CO₂ 188–206 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soul · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 8.6 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
| Soul · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 9.6 | 7.6 | 8.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2020 Kia Soul.
| 2024549 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" a… |
| 2021225 14 Apr 2021 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine's piston oil rings may be defective. This can cause engine wear that can lead to increased oil consumption. Eventually,… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
21V259000 · Engine13 Apr 2021 · 147,249 vehicles
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2020 Kia Soul: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010698 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 8) to remedy a non-responsive or inoperative radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the RADIO hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the RA |
| 11009080 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softwa |
| 11007859 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced from July 09, 2018 through present, 2020-2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from November 15, 2018 through present, and 2021-2024 Seltos (SP2) vehicles produced from November 20, 2019 |
| 11005364 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced from July 09, 2018 through present, 2020-2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from November 15, 2018 through present, and 2021-2024 Seltos (SP2) vehicles produced from November 20, 2019 |
| 11004930 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACEMENT: This bulletin provides information to replace the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) Oil Pressure Sensor (OPS) on some 2018-2024MY vehicles listed on page 3 equipped with IVT. The affected vehicles may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illuminated on the instrument cluster with DTCs P084500, P084600, and/or P0867XX present with no drivability concerns due to a failed IVT oil pressure sensor. |
| 11001836 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR PISTON RING NOISE DTC 1327 (SC209Y) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in (SC209A) titled ECM Logic Improvement for Piston Ring Noise Sensing System. If DTC P1327 is present after the ECM Logic Improvement is performed per SC209A, follow the instructions in this bulletin to replace the engin |
| 11001597 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2306) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2020-2022MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from November 24, 2018 through December 11, 2021, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This logic upgrade will add anti-theft ig |
| 11000787 | This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced. |
| 10250838 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softwa |
| 10250517 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecti |
| 10248691 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced from July 09, 2018 through present, 2020-2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from November 15, 2018 through present, and 2021-2024 Seltos (SP2) vehicles produced from November 20, 2019 through present. The affected vehicles may exhibit an intermittent noise when turning the steering wheel both when driving and when the vehicle is not in |
| 10247582 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia now has an additional vehicle modification available for installation to help deter or thwart attempted thefts. This modification consists of a theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and will be available to you free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. |
| 10247556 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE SCREEN FREEZING OR MAP DELAY WITH WIRED APPLE CARPLAY - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy an inaccurate map location, freezing AVN screen, or experiencing a delay when using Google Maps or Waze through wired Apple CarPlay. |
| 10247554 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softw |
| 10247553 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 13, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Software Logic upgrade under CS2301/02/03/04/05/06/07/08/09 TSBs. In an effort to help prevent thefts of Kia vehicles that are not equipped with an immobilizer |
| 10243928 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: UNEVEN/SLIPPERY ROAD WARNING DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a warning sound accompanied by a 'Slippery road ahead. Drive carefully' or 'Uneven road ahead. Drive carefully' warning which is displayed on the instrument cluster. The current AVN software causes the warning sound and message to repeat approximately every ten (10) seconds, if the vehicle is not in motion, in 'PARK' or driving on even surfaces |
| 10242982 | This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. |
| 10241848 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide units using |
| 10241168 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of the original letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to the vehicle to |
| 10240758 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the service reminder setting, which may have been auto-set by the Kia Vehicle Inspection and Delivery application (KVID) at time of Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI). Beginning with the 2023MY, Oil Life Monitoring (OLM) has been applied to all models, except Forte (BDm), Stinger (CK), Telluride (ON) and Soul (SK3). Refer to TSB ENG24 |
| 10240742 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia is now making steering wheel lock devices available directly to certain Kia vehicle owners. These devices can help deter a theft attempt. We are making this device available to customers free of charge and will ship it directly to customers who place orders within eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. |
| 10240563 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: KIA GENUINE REMOTE START CONTROL MODULE UPGRADE FOR ANTI-THEFT LOGIC COMPATIBILITY (CS2310) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software logic in the Kia Genuine Remote Start Control Module on certain 2012-2022MY model vehicles listed on page 7. Vehicles equipped with a Kia Genuine Remote Start feature and have had the Anti-Theft software logic (CS230*) applied to the Integrated |
| 10239752 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BRAKE AIR BLEEDING PROCEDURE FOR ESC HONKING NOISE AND SOFT/SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the brake air bleeding procedure for 2020MY~ Soul (SK3) vehicles equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) module which may exhibit a "honk" noise when using Idle Stop and Go (ISG) and/or Hill Start Assist Control (HAC). |
| 10239716 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2306) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2020-2022MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from November 24, 2018 through December 11, 2021, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This logic upgrade will add anti-theft ig |
| 10239108 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: KIA GENUINE REMOTE START CONTROL MODULE UPGRADE FOR ANTI-THEFT LOGIC COMPATIBILITY (CS2310) - This bulletin provides information to update the software logic in the Kia Genuine Remote Start Control Module on certain 2012-2022MY model vehicles listed on page 6. Vehicles equipped with a Kia Genuine Remote Start feature and have had the Anti-Theft software logic (CS230*) applied to the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) may experience five (5) inadvertent honks after starting the vehicle with the remote start feature. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
DP22003 · Engineopened 12 Sept 2022 · closed 12 Dec 2023
Loss of Motive Power
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation