2015 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 904 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 36 involved a crash and 83 involved a fire. 32 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
EngineDec 2, 2020
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.
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 20V750000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineFeb 22, 2019
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.
Campaign 19V120000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringSep 29, 2017
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.
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 17V608000 on NHTSA.gov
Vehicle speed control, accelerator pedalMar 2, 2015
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.
If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 15V123000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
108 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Apr 10, 2017
NEXEN TIRES DO NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION AND THEY HAVE LESS THAN 23,500 MILES ON THEM, THESE TIRES ARE COMING APART GOUGES DOWN TO TELL STEEL BELTS.
Other or unspecified, Sep 6, 2016, fire
CAR PURCHASED NEW IN FEB 2016. CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND UPON ARRIVING AT HER DESTINATION PARKED THE CAR. ON EXITING THE VEHICLE SHE AND HER FRIEND NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD AT THE WINDSHIELD. THIS QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO A SMALL FLAME. THE ENTIRE CAR WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE WITHIN THE 13 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Other or unspecified, Jun 2, 2016
I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR JUST OVER A YR NOW. THIS WILL BE THE 3 OR 4 RADIO IT HAS BEEN INSTALL
Other or unspecified, Nov 24, 2015
ENTERED LEASE ON 2015 KIA SOUL EXCLAIM ON 2-9-15 WHEN LEASE FOR 2012 KIA SOUL EXCLAIM WAS ABOUT TO TERMINATE. EVER SINCE PURCHASE, WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND AM IDLING AT A STOPLIGHT, THE CAR WILL FEEL LIKE IT WANTS TO GO. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR INTO DEALERSHIP AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT INTERVALS, SO MILEAGE ON CAR KEEPS GROWING. I HAVE TO PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES AT TIMES IN ORDER TO KEEP CAR FROM TRYING TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. I'VE GONE TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THEY HAVE RECENT THE COMPUTER TO FACTORY NEW SETTINGS, MORE THAN ONCE. ON 11-21-15, I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY TOOK ALL SORT OF READINGS AND WERE ON THE PHONE WITH KIA TECH FOR SUGGESTIONS. THE ONE PERSON WHO COULD READ MORE ABOUT THE FINDINGS WAS NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE UNTIL 11-24-15. I CALLED THIS EVENING AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR HAD TALKED THEIR TECH WHO HAD TALKED TO KIA TECH AND THEY STILL COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. I CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING AT A COMPLETE STOP AND POTENTIALLY RAMMING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I'VE TRIED TURNING THE FAN OFF OR MAKING SURE THE CAR HAS WARMED UP SO THAT THE FAN DOESN'T HAVE TO RUN TO SEE IF THAT HELPS, BUT IT STILL WILL DO THIS.
Steering, Suspension, Other or unspecified, Oct 27, 2015
FIRST OCCURRED AT 134 MILES ON MY 2015 KIA SOUL...BOUNCY VIBRATING SHAKY RIDE COULD BE FELT UNDER MY FEET LIKE SOMETHING BUMPING THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR AND IN THE STEERING WHEEL LIKE SOMEONE WAS TAPPING ON IT CONTINUOUSLY. PASSENGERS FRONT AND REAR CAN FEEL THE VIBRATING SHAKE. HAS BEEN RETURNED TO DEALER FIVE TIMES WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. IT IS SO BAD IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE TO RIDE IN AND DRIVE. TWO SERVICE TECHS HAVE TOLD ME THEY FEEL IT BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. LOCAL DEALER REFUSED SERVICE AFTER THE FOURTH TIME SAYING THEY WOULD NOT TRY TO "FIX" IT AGAIN SO KIA CORPORATION SENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP FEELS IT BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS EITHER. A FIELD TECH IS BEING SENT WITH A NEW MACHINE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. NEW TIRES AND WHEELS HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE VEHICLE...THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE BUT IT STILL HAS THE VIBRATING SHAKY FEELING. TWICE, WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE...SERVICE TECHS DON'T KNOW WHY. THE CAR SHUDDERS MANY TIMES WHEN SITTING AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN OR PARKING LOT...IT WILL BE RUNNING SMOOTHLY, THEN SUDDENLY BEGIN THE SHUDDER AND SHAKE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT RUNS SMOOTHLY AGAIN. AND NO, IT IS NOT THE AC COMPRESSOR KICKING IN...THE VIBRATING SHAKY RIDE OCCURS ON ALL TYPES OF PAVEMENT AND ROAD SURFACES. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO GO AROUND A CURVE, THE WHEEL SHAKES AS IF THE AXLES ARE BAD. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE PURCHASED JUNE 24, 2015, NEW, AND NOW HAS 4,000 MILES ON IT AND IS STILL DOING ITS VIBRATING SHAKY THING. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THESE PROBLEMS? THIS IS THE THIRD 2015 KIA SOUL WE HAVE OWNED! THE OTHER TWO ARE GREAT! NO PROBLEMS...TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THIS ONE.
Other or unspecified, Sep 24, 2015
I PURCHASED A KIA SOUL IN 2012 (2013 CAR) AND A MONTH LATER WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE FOR 5 DAYS WITH MYSTERIOUS SYMPTOMS. (I AM A HEALTHY WOMAN AND TAKE NO MEDICATIONS.) OVER THE NEXT 2 YEARS I STILL HAD PROBLEMS BUT THEY LESSENED. FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS, I HAVE HAD NO SYMPTOMS. LAST MONTH I PURCHASED A KIA SOUL 2015 AND IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK I WAS BACK AT THE ER, AGAIN, NO DIAGNOSIS WHATSOEVER. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. PUTTING THE DATES TOGETHER, I THEN RESEARCHED KIA SOUL FOR TOXICITY, AND IT IS THE TOP CAR FOR HIGH TOXIC LEVELS. IS THIS NOT AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE TO BE ON YOUR WEBSITE? I AM SHOCKED THAT SO LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS, BUT THE SOURCES I RESEARCHED ARE MOST RELIABLE. KIA SOUL IS A DANGEROUS CAR.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Aug 8, 2015
WAS DRIVING DOWN AN INTERSTATE ON A JULY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURE IN THE MID 90'S WITH AC SET ON 72. DRIVING WITH NO CARS AROUND AT 60MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HEAR WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A GUN SHOT. I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE IF I COULD SEE ANYTHING WRONG AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING UNTIL I LOOKED UP. THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED COMPLETELY. THE ROOF FRAGMENTS I COULD SEE WAS LIFTING OUTWARD. I CALLED MY HAIRCUT APPOINTMENT TO CANCEL AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. ON THE WAY OVER, THE SMALL GLASS FRAGMENTS BETWEEN THE ACTUAL BROKEN FRAGMENTS STARTED TO FALL SO I CLOSED THE SUNSHADE. ALSO ON THE DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP, SOME OF THE BROKEN GLASS FELL OUT ONTO THE ROAD BEHIND ME. ITS BEEN 2 WEEKS AND SO FAR NO NEWS FROM CORPORATE KIA ON REPLACING MY SUNROOF.
Other or unspecified, May 7, 2015
KIA COUNTRY OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA SOLD ME A NEW 2015 KIA SOUL WHILE UNDER AN ACTIVE RECALL, PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK BEING COMPLETED, IN APPARENT VIOLATION OF 49 U.S.C., SECTION 30112(A)(3). KIA SERVICE CAMPAIGN 116, A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT A POTENTIAL UNSAFE CONDITION RESULTING FROM THE FRACTURING OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT WELL IN ADVANCE OF MY PURCHASE DATE OF 02 APRIL 2015. IT SEEMS THAT IN THE RUSH TO SELL ME THE VEHICLE, THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT COMPLETED, AND I WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT A RECALL WAS IN EFFECT. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL AFTER REGISTERING ON A KIA WEBSITE AS A KIA OWNER, WHEN AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM MATCHED MY NEW VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER TO THE RECALL, AND INDICATING IT AS INCOMPLETE. THE SOUL WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE AND THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED ON 24 APRIL 2015, AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN 1208 MILES WITH THE POTENTIAL UNSAFE DEFECT, WITH NO OTHER NOTIFICATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP OR THE MANUFACTURER. *TR