Launched in 2008, the Kia Soul entered its third-generation model in 2019 which made the vehicle look quite styling and more premium than it actually is. The vehicle was marketed as a subcompact crossover but it is essentially a hybrid of a hatchback and a wagon. The 2022 Kia Soul comes with some minor changes to keep it relevant. The base price of the vehicle is set at $19,290 which makes it pretty affordable to buy, but how's the ownership experience considering the history of Kia Soul problems? Let's find out!
Kia Soul user complaints and problems
Modern vehicles with plenty of features and complex electronics do face malfunctions along with failures and the Kia Soul is no different. The powertrain, electrical system, and safety system of the Kia Soul have faced the highest number of complaints from as early as the vehicle’s second-generation model. The Kia Soul transmission problems were recorded in most numbers against its 2020 model while the 2021 model also had more than a couple of complaints regarding the same.
Engine problems
- Overheating of the catalytic converter: The 2015 Kia Soul was severely hit by the mentioned problem. A majority of the complaints mentioned that the overheating of the catalytic converter resulted in fire under the vehicle, compromising the safety of the vehicle as well as its occupants. In other cases, a lack of engine oil overheated the engines of the affected vehicles, causing the catalytic converter to overheat and suffer from a meltdown as well.
- Transmission issues: Transmission issues cropped up on the 2020 Kia Soul. Several thousands of vehicles were affected by the issue. Almost all the reports mention that after covering a few thousand miles the transmission would fail completely but in some cases, the failure would happen much earlier. There are also a few reports mentioning that even after the transmission of the affected vehicle was replaced, it would fail again.
- Oil leak and excessive burning of oil problems: Both problems plagued the entire second-generation model of the Soul and resulted in some safety concerns too. Most of the reports stated that the engine would leak oil randomly, sometimes without the owner even realizing it, resulting in engine failure. There were numerous instances where the engine would burn excessive engine oil which also resulted in random engine failures. During the occurrence of the events, the vehicles were being driven under multiple conditions such as out on the highways and within the city limits too.
- Engine blowing up: Several owners complained about the mentioned issue. Inspections at the dealerships revealed that a lack of engine oil led to the occurrence of the blowing-up issues. All the reports regarding the problem state that while driving, the vehicle lost power suddenly and after coming to a halt, the engine blew up with heavy smoke emitting from under the hood.
Safety problems
- Airbags failing to deploy: Several thousands of Kia Soul owners were affected by this issue and the car faced complaints regarding this repeatedly throughout its second generation as well the current third-generation model. All the reports state that under various crash scenarios, ranging from severe to mild, the airbags of the affected Souls involved failed to deploy completely resulting in minor to serious injuries. Even the models equipped with the curtain airbags also failed to deploy when necessary resulting in multiple passengers getting injured.
- Brake failure: The issue with the braking system of the Kia Soul has been present in almost every model of the vehicle and it is quite a common issue with other vehicles nowadays too. All the complaints mention that during the occurrences, even after flooring the brake pedal the affected vehicle failed to stop or the braking force was extremely minimal and not adequate to stop the vehicle.
Electrical problems
- Interior and exterior lighting issues: Intermittent issues with the electrical system, especially the interior and exterior lighting systems, were present on the Kia Soul even from its second-generation model. The problems stated that at times, the exterior lights including the headlamps would fail to come on or turn off randomly while driving.
2022 Kia Soul recalls
Recalls are crucial for an automaker to fix the problems, faced by its customers, with its vehicles and the Kia Soul has seen a handful of them. The Kia Soul did have numerous underlying faults but the South Korean carmaker made several attempts to fix them. The 2015 model of the Soul received the highest number of recalls while the numbers fell sharply from the following models onwards, much like the complaints. The 2015 Kia Soul recalls include the overheated catalytic converter issue along with the engine fire issue, the two highest-occurring problems with the second-generation Soul.
|
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Component Affected |
Recall Issue |
Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
September 29, 2017 |
17V608000 |
STEERING |
Steering Gear May Separate |
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash. |
|
February 22, 2019 |
19V120000 |
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING |
Overheated Catalytic Converter May Damage Engine |
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. |
|
July 2, 2020 |
20V389000 |
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Unintended Movement Due to Damaged Park Mechanism |
Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash. |
|
December 2, 2020 |
20V750000 |
ENGINE |
Engine Damage May Cause Fire |
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury. |
|
January 25, 2022 |
22V031000 |
AIRBAGS |
Air Bags May Not Deploy |
Airbags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash. |
|
April 13, 2021 |
21V259000 |
ENGINE |
Improperly Heat-Treated Piston Oil Rings |
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, the oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire. |
What model year of the Kia Soul to avoid?
The attractive design and the affordable price tag along with plenty of features available with the 2022 Kia Soul make it a compelling package in its segment. It might not be a proper crossover SUV like its rivals but it sure does pack a punch and a unique body style, making it preferable among young and first-time car buyers. However, given its disturbing reliability aspect, as the NHTSA records show, the entire second-generation model of the Kia Soul is best avoided along with the 2020 model as well.
Should you buy a used Kia Soul?
As mentioned earlier, the Kia Soul poses as an appealing vehicle in its segment if we keep aside its non-SUV attributes. However, its poor reliability scores, especially on the second generation of the vehicle, make it a no-go from the used car lots. Even the third generation launch model i.e the 2020 Kia Soul also faced the infamous transmission failures, eliminating it from the list of go-to vehicles from the used car lots. Hence, considering the number of 2022 Kia Soul problems, buying a used Kia Soul might not be a wise idea after all.
