Reliable Auto DB

2020 Kia Soul reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 381 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Soul over 7 years — 55 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Soul years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Engine.

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

381

Per year

55

Recalls

1

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (238 of 381), then Powertrain (89) and Electrical system (28). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, 5 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Soul has 136 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2021 has 233 complaints, 18 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Kia Soul. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall Engine 2021-04-13 · NHTSA campaign 21V259000
Summary 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.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

Complaints by component (381 total)

Engine
238
Powertrain
89
Electrical system
28
Steering
16
Fuel and propulsion system
15
Speed control
14
Engine and engine cooling
11
Service brakes
10
Structure
10
Exterior lighting
6
Forward collision avoidance
5
Air bags
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Child seat
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Suspension
1
Tether and lower anchor
1
Wheels
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

9

Fire-flagged

6

Injury reports

5

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

172019512020692021282022452023362024722025632026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2020 Kia Soul 2.0L has developed serious engine problems. The vehicle initially had diagnostic trouble code P0014 and later P000B. The vehicle has also experienced significant oil consumption. A mechanic inspected…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-22
  • "The contact owned a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while attempting to operate the vehicle, the engine seized and the vehicle failed to start. When attempting to start the vehicle, a knock turnover was present,…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-18
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and added oil to the engine before…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-17
  • "I’m having trouble with my pearl white paint peeling off my car. I am available for an inspection. The car has not inspected by anyone at this time. Waiting on instructions. This started last year July and just keeps…"
    Structure · filed 2026-09-16
  • "This car was purchased in December of 2025 with 26K miles on it. There are stall issues when using the auto start stop feature. I had to power down the car and restart it up to get the car to move. It also will throw…"
    Speed control, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Kia Soul Electric SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2020 Kia Soul SUV FWD 4 stars 4 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 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 27 33 30 MPG $2150
Soul 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 25 31 27 MPG $2400
Soul 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Front-wheel drive 27 32 29 MPG $2250
Soul Eco dynamics 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 35 31 MPG $2100
Soul Electric — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 127 101 114 MPG / 243 mi range $650

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (SK3), 2020–present
Body styles Hatchback
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L and 1.6L turbo where equipped) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 205/60R16 to 235/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V259000. 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. A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Kia Soul Next year 2021 Kia Soul See every Kia Soul model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Kia Soul reliable?

Owners have filed 381 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Soul over 7 years — 55 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Soul years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Engine.

What are common problems with a 2020 Kia Soul?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (238 of 381), then Powertrain (89) and Electrical system (28). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, 5 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2020 Kia Soul more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Soul has 136 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2021 has 233 complaints, 18 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Kia Soul been recalled?

The 2020 Kia Soul has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Kia Soul?

Owners have filed 381 complaints about the 2020 Kia Soul with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Kia Soul get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Kia Soul is 46.2 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).