Reliable Auto DB

2015 Kia Soul reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Kia Soul holds 904 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 22 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Soul years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Engine, Steering, and Accelerator pedal.

2012 Kia Soul
Photo by DieselFordMondeo, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

904

Per year

22

Recalls

4

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (629 of 904), then Electrical system (76) and Fuel and propulsion system (76). Those filings include 36 that report a crash, 83 that report a fire, 23 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Soul has 902 complaints, 24 per year, and the 2016 has 819 complaints, 13 per year. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Kia Soul. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall Engine 2020-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 20V750000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Recall Engine 2019-02-22 · NHTSA campaign 19V120000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. 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.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Recall Steering 2017-09-29 · NHTSA campaign 17V608000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
Recall speed control, accelerator pedal 2015-03-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V123000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116.

Complaints by component (904 total)

Engine
629
Electrical system
76
Fuel and propulsion system
76
Powertrain
62
Engine and engine cooling
58
Steering
44
Exterior lighting
36
Speed control
31
Service brakes
29
Air bags
20
Structure
16
Seat belts
10
Wheels
6
Visibility and wipers
5
Hydraulic brakes
4
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Seats
3
Suspension
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Visibility
2
Air brakes
1
Back-over prevention
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Tires
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

36

Fire-flagged

83

Injury reports

23

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

1201424201524201617201733201813620191612020143202110220221122023652024542025322026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Seatbelt on front passenger side locked up and continued to tighten until passenger had to release. Then seatbelt never returned to function. It locked up completely."
    Seat belts · filed 2026-09-19
  • "The contact owned a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was smoke coming from the exhaust, with an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-02
  • "Dealer refusing to honor open recall remedy for SC200 / NHTSA 20V750000 on 2015 Kia Soul VIN [XXX], approx 100k miles. Recall shows "no unrepaired recall found" on NHTSA VIN lookup, but KSDS update and engine bearing…"
    Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-08-04
  • "Please see attached documents. I have also put them in the US mail. One to KIA: Kia Customer Care Center, Kia Motors America, Inc., P.O. Box 52410, Irvine, CA, 92619-2410 and one to the National Highway Traffic Safety…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-02
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); the dealer informed the contact…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-07-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Kia Soul Ev SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2015 Kia Soul SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Soul 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 24 30 26 MPG $2500
Soul 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 30 26 MPG $2500
Soul 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 30 26 MPG $2500
Soul ECO dynamics 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 30 26 MPG $2500
Soul Electric — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 120 92 105 MPG / 93 mi range $700

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (PS), 2012–2019
Body styles Hatchback
Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (1.6L and 2.0L) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 205/60R16 to 215/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 19V120000. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. 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. Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Kia Soul Next year 2016 Kia Soul See every Kia Soul model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Kia Soul reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Kia Soul holds 904 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 22 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Soul years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Engine, Steering, and Accelerator pedal.

What are common problems with a 2015 Kia Soul?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (629 of 904), then Electrical system (76) and Fuel and propulsion system (76). Those filings include 36 that report a crash, 83 that report a fire, 23 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2015 Kia Soul more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Soul has 902 complaints, 24 per year, and the 2016 has 819 complaints, 13 per year. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Kia Soul been recalled?

The 2015 Kia Soul has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Kia Soul?

Owners have filed 904 complaints about the 2015 Kia Soul with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Kia Soul get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Kia Soul is 41.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Soul take?

5W-20 or 0W-20 (1.6L and 2.0L)

What does NHTSA recall 19V-120 cover on the Kia Soul?

NHTSA campaign 19V120000.

What generation is the 2013 Kia Soul?

2nd generation (PS) (2012-2019).