Kia Soul Recall History

Official NHTSA recall data for the Kia Soul, with the newest records listed first.

Complete Recall History

8 recall records are listed below.

ComponentModel YearRecall DateCampaign #ConsequenceRemedy
STEERING201529/09/201717V608000If 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.
AIR BAGS201725/01/202222V031000Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
AIR BAGS202322/12/202323V830000An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.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.
ENGINE201522/02/201919V120000Piston 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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL202117/02/202525V099000Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.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.
ENGINE202013/04/202121V259000A 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.
ENGINE201502/12/202020V750000An 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.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL201502/03/201515V123000If 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.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recall Database.

NHTSA Safety Ratings (2024)

2024 Kia Soul SUV FWD

Overall
4/5
Front Crash
4/5
Side Crash
5/5
Rollover
4/5

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Owner Complaints (2024)

31 complaints on file with NHTSA. The first 25 records are shown below.

  1. STEERING — 06/24/2026

    My 2024 Kia Soul has experienced three serious steering failures while driving since June 2026. The steering system suddenly malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to become completely locked and leaving me unable to control the vehicle, putting my safety and the safety of other drivers and pedestrians at serious risk. During the last two incidents, the vehicle became completely undrivable and had to be towed to an authorized Kia dealership. During the most recent incident, dashboard warning lights appeared for approximately three seconds before the steering wheel locked completely. The vehicle has been at the dealership since October 10, 2026. Following the first two incidents, Kia replaced the alternator and addressed an overheating steering column control module. During the third incident, Kia diagnosed a battery issue and replaced the battery. Despite multiple repairs involving different components, the same potentially life-threatening steering failure has continued to recur, raising serious concerns about the vehicle's safety and reliability.

  2. UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — 10/01/2026

    The engine goes from rest to automatic shut down when you accelerate if the Auto rest for the engine at pause is enabled. Completely shutting downs the car when it’s supposed to be accelerating

  3. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 08/02/2026

    The check engine light on my 2024 KIA Soul came on. I took the car to the dealer and had them check it. They said said that there were multiple problems with the transmission. They recommended that I have the transmission replaced. I had them replace the transmission for over 4,100 dollars. I bought the car brand new from KIA. I drive for Lyft and the car has 127,738 miles on it, but I think that a transmission should last longer than 2 years and 127,738 miles.

  4. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 07/01/2026

    The car will not lock via the key fob or automatic door locks. When you turn off the ignition and open the drivers door it chimes and you can not lock the doors. It’s in park, and I turn the steering wheel. I’ve unplugged the negative battery, and had the fuses checked.

  5. SERVICE BRAKES — 07/09/2026

    Had to make a panic stop in rain on interstate due to vehicle in front of me using emergency turn around (vehicle was not authorized to use). Brake pedal went down furthur than normal amd abs did not activate. Barely missed having an accident. Exiting 12 miles later brake pedal went to floor. Stopped (had to pump pedal repeatedly to stop as iy was going to floor) & checked brake fluid level. It looked low. Drove carefully home. Upon parking at home, 'Low brake fluid' light came on. Checked fluid in resevoir. Only one third was remaining.

  6. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 07/03/2026

    The trunk/ back hatch and it will not open i have tried to use the key fob and nothing it just failed randomly. I went to open it and nothing happens. I have tried locking and unlocking and nothing. This is extremely dangerous because one if I need access to my spare I can't get to it. Also if there was a crash and someone had to pull me or my child out through the back we can not get out. Especially with children in the back seats.

  7. LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 06/30/2025

    Intermittent failure of multiple safety‑critical Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) while driving. Forward collision avoidance, lane safety, and other driver‑assist features disable simultaneously without warning.

  8. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 04/18/2026

    This 2024 Kia soul, 2 issues 1. the instrument cluster does not show, when turning the vehicle on the instrument cluster is blank, meaning I cannot see the speed limit, how much fuel or use any adaptive features, braking, lane departure, cruise control, etc ****this creates a dangerous situation and I do not believe the car is safe to drive**** I see there is a recall for this issue on 2023 models Kia 23V298000 Kia SC270 2. Intermittent window issues with the automatic windows, when opening from the driver side the windows will not come back up, have to pull over and turn vehicle on and off and /or try to close the windows from each door individually I called to report this to Kia at [XXX] and asked them to repair both and they were not much help, I asked this be reported and am not confident the person will actually do so They did tell me there were issues already noted which I requested be raised to a technical service bulletin or a recall and extend the warranty for all affected vehicles thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  9. EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 09/16/2024

    The contact owns a 2024 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low beam headlights were very dim. The headlight control was set to automatic, but the dimness of the headlights was the same as when switched to manual control. The failure was not as noticeable while using the high beam headlights. The contact stated that the low beam headlights failed to properly illuminate in low-light areas. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that there was no fix for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

  10. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 01/18/2026

    My vehicle has less than 8K miles. This weekend my horn stopped working (a definite safety problem) and the signal that I had locked my car doors using my fob failed to work. The lights did flash to signal they were locked (I checked just to be sure!) I need to have the vehicle checked before part(s) can be ordered. That requires 2 trips to the dealer instead of one. I was told that this problem is a "recall under warranty". Kia isn't doing anything to keep their customers with this lack of service.

  11. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 06/16/2025

    Driver Attention Warning (DAW), "Consider Taking A Break", is coming on randomly, sometimes multiple times within a short driving distance. Has become a DISTRACTION instead of a SAFETY FEATURE! Cannot turn off or even turn down the sound. Even on "low" sound, still loud enough to wake up a sleeping passenger! Taken back to Kia dealer 3 times. They will do nothing because as they say" technician cannot duplicate customer concern."

  12. POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 10/05/2025

    It started appearing to be electrical and ended in some type of engine/system emergency! I rented this vehicle through Avis and the first few days everything appeared ok, regarding the functionality vehicle. Mid-day on 10-4-25, I attempted to put groceries in the trunk, wouldn’t open. After 4 minutes, I gave up, assuming I’m doing something wrong.That evening, the gas mileage hadn’t moved remained at (90), the battery light, oil pan, mph:stuck on 23, and the rev stuck on 1.2, and the Odometer hasn’t changed. When I removed the key the dash board remained on and once I hit the lock button it turned off.10-5-25, I put gas in the car and the indicator marker never moved. I called to report these issues because my vehicle was not inspected before I left the lot. We canceled our paid trip and headed back to TX. While driving, the gas and oil pan light would turn on (2-3 min) then go off. While on the freeway, suddenly, the car shuts off. The best way I can describe it during the process is (sitting in a parked car with the ACC position) everything is working but the car isn’t “on”. Due to MPH being stuck at 23, I can say I was literally going the speed limit (60-65, flow of traffic) to 0! The phones were still charging, lights, and dashboard stayed lit, hazards light worked, and we literally rolled until the car stopped! Since this is a rental by law it should have been checked before handing me the keys. The employee handed me the keys and pointed to the car from his computer. As soon as I was aware it was a problem I called multiple times to report this. When the situation was not properly handled by Avis the first 4 times, I called the police. I requested to file a report and the officer did not show, however, Harris County sent a tow truck. I will be filling a police report in the morning. Although there is not a recall, I see there are social groups with similar issues in the Kia 2024 Sol! This was a lemon rental and the experience was traumatic!

  13. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 06/28/2025

    Started the car this morning and noticed that the dashboard screen was blank. This had never happened before. Turned the car off and on twice thinking maybe it was just a software glitch but the screen stayed blank. Took the car to the dealer shortly after. When I picked it up the service advisor said they did a reset and a software update. The advisor had not seen this in a 2024 Kia Soul. But when checking on-line, I saw several similar complaints for this year/model.

  14. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 06/14/2025

    Horn malfunctioned, a known issue recognized by Kia on these models. Visited an authorized Kia repair center in Maryland on June 14, 2025. The repair center indicated that the necessary parts (96611-K0030 and 96619-T6000) are not available in Maryland or surrounding states, and backorder delays are at least four to six weeks. The vehicle is meanwhile not road safe due to the lack of a horn.

  15. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 05/20/2025

    I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN JAN 2024 AND IT NOW HAS 16000 MILES. TOOK MY CAR INTO RAY SKILLMAN, PIKES PLAZA WESTIDE FOR SERVICE LAST MONTH BECAUSE MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A NATION WIDE BACK ORDER ON THE PART AND JUST 2 DAYS AGO, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE/CARE, STATING THAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS NO ETA AT THIS TIME. THIS (NOT HAVING A HORN) IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND ALSO THE SERVICE TECH THAT TOOK MY CAR IN, TOLD ME THAT IT AFFECTED OTHER KIA MODELS AS WELL, THEY DID NOT SEEM TO THINK THAT IT WAS A BIG DEAL AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEABLE, BUT WITHOUT A HORN, IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I'M ALSO CONTACTING THEM FOR A LOANER WHICH THEY REALLY DON'T SEEM TO WANT TO DO THAT ROUTE, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO RENT A VEHICLE TO BE REIMBURSED (SINCE IT IS A WARRANTY REPAIR), BECAUSE THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF POCKET THAT I DON'T HAVE. IF THAT IS A PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE KIA MODELS, WHY IS THAT NOT A RECALL? THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THEN, THAT I HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE MY HORN WAS NEEDED SO AS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY, AND I DID NOT HAVE ONE. (NO ACCIDENTS SO FAR) BUT IT IS BOUND TO HAPPEN.

  16. UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 05/11/2025

    My Kia Soul, which only has 7600 miles, was parked in my garage. When I went to wash it this afternoon, I found that the back window had shattered.

  17. BACK OVER PREVENTION — 04/02/2025

    No sound when object is in area of vehicle when backing up.

  18. BACK OVER PREVENTION — 04/05/2025

    The vehicle was looked at and was told it didn’t have sensors for the problem, I can’t believe the vehicle didn’t have sensors for that problem when the rest of the vehicle has sensors for everything else. The vehicle should be recalled to have the sensors put on for safety concerns. I have a camera but no warning sound when object is detected.

  19. LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 06/26/2024

    shortly after purchasing the car (06/2024) while driving (regardless of the weather or temperature, whether it’s day, night, hot, cold, etc) all of my dash warning lights come on, complete ADAS system malfunction. it shows a code for my front camera through the kia connect app and says it’s chasis related. i have taken my car in multiple times for this and i still leave with it the same day hours later. despite being told that both recommendations from my last service appointment had already been done, this is what i am left with. even after being involved in a front end collision, none of my safety features (that have never not been on) never came into play, emergency braking never happened. attaching most recent, first time addressing this issue was in august.

  20. POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — 08/14/2024 (Fire reported)

    purchased 6-22-24 fire happened 8-14-24 at approximately 11pm, with approximately 2691 miles, fire started in engine compartment, car burned to ground, nothing left, approximately 2691 miles on vehicle. i was lucky to get out alive, i had to kick the doors open.

  21. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 03/12/2025

    Well, isn't it wonderful that Kia has extended the warranty on the horn assembly. Now, how do I avail myself of the warranty? Simple - if the horn DOES NOT WORK or emits an unusual or different sound just bring it to KIA for a diagnosis. Now, when is it most likely that I realize the horn DOES NOT WORK? When I need it the most, or when the bicyclist or pedestrian or whatever needs my horn to work. How in the world does KIA think it can keep possibly unsafe vehicles on the road? I have no idea but I am filing a complaint and ask all others to do so. The horn is a critical safety feature that must work all the time. How does KIA think it can get away with this? Vehicles are required to meet and continue to meet at all times Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in existence at the time of manufacture. This is simply unacceptable.

  22. ENGINE — 01/07/2025

    The contact owns a 2024 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving on an access road at 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact started to drive however, the failure recurred. The contact inspected the vehicle but found no cause for the failure. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.

  23. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 12/30/2024

    On 12/30/2024 my wife was returning home when all of the instrument lights went out. She stopped to make attemps to get the lights to come on but nothing worked. She had to drive home with no instruments for speed, directions, service, etc. When she got home ( very upset ) she only wanted to know why e new car with only 1400 miles would have this problem. I checked all the obvious cause for this condition but I could not find anything obviuos such as blown fuse, etc. Searching on line I found this was a common problem and people said a temporary fix was to disconnect the battery and retighten. This did work for the time but soon it did the same thing on New Years Eve and after supper we had to drive home with no dash lights. On 01/04/2025 the lights were out and error messages kept appearing. On 01/06/2025 I called the dealer service because of the safety problem and asked to speak to the manager and I have still not heard from him. My wife now refuses to drive the car and I understand why.

  24. EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 09/26/2024

    Headlights are not bright enough. In areas with no street lights it’s like driving with candles. The light is yellow and dim. This is a new car

  25. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 08/21/2024

    Went out to my car one morning and my entire instrument cluster was black. I could not see my speedometer, gas gauge, mileage, nothing. Had to drive it for 2 days while using waze to keep track of my speed until I could get my car into the dealership. I have been waiting for 3 months now for the part

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.

Kia Soul Lemon Law Guide

Read the complete recall-backed guide covering documented defects, recall history, and consumer legal options for this model.

Read the Kia Soul Lemon Law Guide