Your vehicle report
2020 Kia Soul
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 388
- Received Jun 2019 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving54 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving40 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving29 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V259000Kia 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Engine stalls and loses power while drivingFirst signal: Jul 2021
- Engine suddenly shuts off while drivingFirst signal: Jun 2021
- Paint peels off roof and hoodFirst signal: Dec 2024 · Recent surge
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 6 fires, 6 people injured, 8 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 19 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 51 |
| 2021 | 69 |
| 2022 | 28 |
| 2023 | 45 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2025 | 72 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 70 |
| Total | 388 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 54 | 14% | 15.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.4% |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 40 | 10% | 5.4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 3.6% |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 29 | 7.5% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 23 | 5.9% | 5.4× | NHTSA recall #21V259000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 4.6% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 13 | 3.4% | 14.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Dec 2024 · Recent surge Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.9% |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 10 | 2.6% | 1.5× | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.0% | 0.7× | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 3 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V259000April 13, 2021147,249 vehicles affected
engine
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2020 Kia Soul.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN