Reliable Auto DB

2023 Kia Soul reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Soul over 4 years — 14 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Soul years here — under the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts, Air bags, and Pump.

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

51

Per year

14

Recalls

4

Years on the road

4

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 51), then Engine (13) and Steering (8). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 6 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2022 and 2024

The 2022 Soul has 88 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2024 has 29 complaints, 10 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

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 2023 Kia Soul. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2025-02-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V099000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Recall Air bags 2023-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 23V830000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, fluid, pump 2023-07-31 · NHTSA campaign 23V531000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2023-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 23V298000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Remedy Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

Complaints by component (51 total)

Electrical system
13
Engine
13
Steering
8
Lane departure
7
Service brakes
7
Air bags
5
Forward collision avoidance
5
Powertrain
5
Exterior lighting
4
Speed control
3
Back-over prevention
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Parking brake
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

6

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

3202215202314202492025102026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I will be accelerating and the car will on occasion start to sputter like it is going to die and loose power on me. It has done it three different times the last time it through a code on my OBD monitor read it and said…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-19
  • "While driving an alarm noise sounds and on the dash a message will appear stating engine off put car in p or n and I cannot accelerate."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-04
  • "2023 Kia soul purchased brand new. Vehicle does not display speedometer, blinkers don't work, reverse camera doesn't work, nothing displays on dash, continuous alarm sound while vehicle is on. Having no indication of…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Lane departure · filed 2026-08-24
  • "Before the accident which my car was totaled, I would take it in with issues. Electrical lights coming on the car would stop .my transmission locking up . I would tell them that there was something wrong with the car .…"
    Steering, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-05-26
  • "On may 20 2026 car died out multiple times when driving but would start back up. Today may 21 2026 car was lacking power and engine making noise while driving. Then the check engine light came on also the oil light…"
    Engine · filed 2026-05-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2023 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 28 33 30 MPG $2150
Soul Eco dynamics 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 35 31 MPG $2100

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 2022 Kia Soul Next year 2024 Kia Soul See every Kia Soul model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Kia Soul reliable?

Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Soul over 4 years — 14 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Soul years here — under the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts, Air bags, and Pump.

What are common problems with a 2023 Kia Soul?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 51), then Engine (13) and Steering (8). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 6 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2023 Kia Soul more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 Soul has 88 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2024 has 29 complaints, 10 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

Has the 2023 Kia Soul been recalled?

The 2023 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 2023 Kia Soul?

Owners have filed 51 complaints about the 2023 Kia Soul with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2023 Kia Soul get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2023 Kia Soul is 30.5 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).