Kia Soul 2020–2025
3rd generation (SK3)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20261,086 complaints, 342 with mileageMethod
A DO NOT DRIVE recall covers part of this generation — check the VIN before driving it home.
- Reports with mileage
- 342
- Median of reported failures
- 17,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine (39.2%)
- Recalls
- 5
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, 43% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 2 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000.
Figure 1 · Kia Soul 2020–2025 · 342 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 129 complaints.
- First 12,000 miles — 43% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 1 complaints (0.3%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 631
- 25%
- 5,000
- Median
- 17,000
- 75%
- 67,533
- 90%
- 96,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 129 | 37.7% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 48 | 14.0% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 31 | 9.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 19 | 5.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 12 | 3.5% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 16 | 4.7% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 12 | 3.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 17 | 5.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 17 | 5.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 8 | 2.3% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 7 | 2.0% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 4 | 1.2% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 6 | 1.8% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 3 | 0.9% |
| 200,000+ | 1 | 0.3% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,086 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Kia Soul, and 342 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
43% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 2 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (39.2% of complaints, typically around 23,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (12.2% of complaints, typically around 9,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (10.1% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles).
5 recall campaigns cover this generation. 1 of them carry a severe NHTSA advisory.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2020–2025 Kia Soul last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2020–2025 Kia Soul were filed by 17,000 miles and 90% by 96,000 miles — figures drawn from 342 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
1 report (0.3%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Soul reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2020–2025 Soul: the 3-minute check
Generated from 342 mileage-tagged complaints, 5 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 5 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Ask for transmission and driveline repair records. This area fails at a median of 9,000 miles — on any car this age it already happened or never will; the question is whether it was fixed under warranty.
- Ask for problems owners could not categorise repair records. This area fails at a median of 6,000 miles — on any car this age it already happened or never will; the question is whether it was fixed under warranty.
- Check transmission. IVT (chain-type CVT) behaviour complaints — droning, hesitation and shudder — replacing the previous conventional automatic.
- Check anti-theft on 2020–2021 cars. Early cars lacking an engine immobilizer are highly theft-prone; Kia made immobilizers standard partway through the generation and issued a software countermeasure for earlier units.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 43% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 9,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Kia Soul 2020–2025
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Steering36 reports4,500400–14,000Steering: 36 reports, median 4,500 miles, middle half 400 to 14,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise110 reports6,0002,500–12,000Problems owners could not categorise: 110 reports, median 6,000 miles, middle half 2,500 to 12,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline133 reports9,0004,000–18,000Transmission and driveline: 133 reports, median 9,000 miles, middle half 4,000 to 18,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control24 reports13,0008,000–30,000Throttle and speed control: 24 reports, median 13,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 30,000 miles.
- Electrical system75 reports17,0004,000–45,000Electrical system: 75 reports, median 17,000 miles, middle half 4,000 to 45,000 miles.
- Engine426 reports23,0008,000–79,000Engine: 426 reports, median 23,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 79,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system76 reports75,00051,000–95,000Engine and its cooling system: 76 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 95,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 426 | 39.2% | 23,000 | 8,000–79,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 133 | 12.2% | 9,000 | 4,000–18,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 110 | 10.1% | 6,000 | 2,500–12,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 76 | 7.0% | 75,000 | 51,000–95,000 |
| Electrical system | 75 | 6.9% | 17,000 | 4,000–45,000 |
| Steering | 36 | 3.3% | 4,500 | 400–14,000 |
| Brakes | 34 | 3.1% | — | — |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 33 | 3.0% | — | — |
| Forward collision avoidance | 31 | 2.9% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 24 | 2.2% | 13,000 | 8,000–30,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Kia Soul 2020–2025 · 342 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 73% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 86% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 95% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 100%: the remaining 0.3% of reports (1) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
73% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Transmission and driveline — median 9,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — median 6,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 17,000 mi
- Steering — median 4,500 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 13,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine — middle half 8,000–79,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 51,000–95,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
86% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 23,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 9,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — median 6,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 17,000 mi
- Steering — median 4,500 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 13,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 51,000–95,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
95% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 23,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 9,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — median 6,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 75,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 17,000 mi
- Steering — median 4,500 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 13,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 17,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 39.2% of complaints (426 reports, 106 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 23,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 79,000 miles.
A single system taking 39.2% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 12.2% of complaints (133 reports, 68 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 9,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,000 and 18,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 10.1% of complaints (110 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,500 and 12,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.0% of complaints (76 reports, 63 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 75,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 95,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 6.9% of complaints (75 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 17,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,000 and 45,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 3.3% of complaints (36 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 4,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 400 and 14,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 497 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 21. The median year sits at 109.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 4.5 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 5 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
1 of these carry a severe advisory — NHTSA's do not drive or park outside warnings, which the agency applies only when it considers the risk immediate. If you own one of these vehicles, that is the first thing to check by VIN.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,086 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 57 (5.2%)
- Fires
- 20
- Injury reports
- 36
- Fatality reports
- 6
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission
IVT (chain-type CVT) behaviour complaints — droning, hesitation and shudder — replacing the previous conventional automatic.
Anti-Theft 2020–2021
Early cars lacking an engine immobilizer are highly theft-prone; Kia made immobilizers standard partway through the generation and issued a software countermeasure for earlier units.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 497 | 220 |
| 2021 | 308 | 82 |
| 2022 | 133 | 27 |
| 2023 | 86 | 11 |
| 2024 | 41 | 2 |
| 2025 | 21 | 0 |
Recalls (5) — is your car included?
Apr 2025 · 2021–2023 · Engine and Engine CoolingEngine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The free fix. 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.
Jan 2024 · 2023 · Air BagsAn air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The free fix. 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.
Sep 2023 · 2023 · Power Train park outsideAn electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The free fix. 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.
May 2023 · 2023 · Electrical SystemA blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning…
The defect. 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."
What can happen. A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. 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.
Jun 2021 · 2020–2021 · EngineA damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. 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.
The free fix. 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.
What owners reported
The idle stop - start system seems to be broken. Whenever i pull up to a light and stop the engine shuts off. Then, when i try to accelerate the engine starts but the calibers lock up on the disc creating a loud groaning sound. It causes the car to shutter and barely go forward. Additionally, the car consistently…
2020 · 15 miles · Engine
I purchased a 2020 Kia Soul barely 3 weeks ago. First issue is the front lights. They are constantly foggy and with humidity. Took car to the dealer and was initially told that it would clear up once high beams are turned on for 30 minutes which is unrealistic as you can't have your high beams on when there are cars…
2020 · 20 miles · Seats
Vehicle pulls sharply and abruptly to the right at speeds above 45-50. When i test drove the vehicle, i mentioned to the salesman that i thought it was pulling to the right, of course he didn't feel it, but would have it checked. After purchasing the vehicle in april, and owning it about 7 months, this problem is…
2020 · 32 miles · Steering
Built from 342 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page