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Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Kia · Compact SUV

2023 Kia Soul

Gas

Small Station Wagons
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

63 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Counts recalls, not crash safety — this vehicle earned 4 of 5 stars from NHTSA. A much-recalled best-seller scores low here; see the methodology.

Recalls2 critical 4

Complaints6 crash · 1 fire · 15 injured · 1 died reported 54

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 31 mpg

Starting MSRP4 trims · manufacturer $19,890

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2023 Kia Soul is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Soul Eco dynamics, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 54 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $19,890 to $24,190 across 4 trims.

Kia Soul EV — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia Soul EV · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
LX	Gas	FWD	$19,890	147 hp	132 lb-ft	30 mpg	24.2 cu-ft	16 in
S	Gas	FWD	$22,390	147 hp	132 lb-ft	30 mpg	24.2 cu-ft	16 in
EX	Gas	FWD	$24,190	147 hp	132 lb-ft	31 mpg	24.2 cu-ft	17 in
GT-Line	Gas	FWD	$23,490	147 hp	132 lb-ft	30 mpg	24.2 cu-ft	18 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Soul Eco dynamics	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	29	35	31	$2,150
Soul	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	28	33	30	$2,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45303, 45302.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Soul, Soul Eco dynamics	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC336

137,256 vehicles 66% reported repaired built Jul 2, 2020 – Apr 19, 2022

Problem 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. Risk Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V099000 reported Feb 17, 2025 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Air Bags

SC289

2,967 vehicles 81% reported repaired

Problem 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. Risk An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash. 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V830000 reported Dec 22, 2023 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Power Train

SC275

Park outside 39,765 vehicles 87% reported repaired

Problem 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. Risk An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire. 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.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V531000 reported Jul 31, 2023 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Electrical System

SC270

108,936 vehicles 92% reported repaired

Problem 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." Risk 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. 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V298000 reported Apr 26, 2023 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical — Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness closed

On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a ‘cold’ engine to a ‘warm’ engine; 2) w

Opened Aug 6, 2025 · closed Dec 18, 2025 · action AQ25001 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Soul

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2023 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Kia Soul, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

54complaints filed

6 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 15 injuries · 1 deaths reported

6.7 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 80,238 Soul built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2022: 3 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 13

Most-cited components

Engine 15

Electrical System 14

Unspecified 13

Lane Departure 8

Steering 8

Service Brakes 8

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Since I purchased the car the steering wheel will jerk, when im on a 2 lane road. It always jerks towards on-coming traffic, and it only does this when there is a car coming in the opposite lane and is just about to pass me. I have to fight with the steering wheel to get it back to go straight.

Electrical System Sep 23, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11689118

The rear windshield spontaneously shattered while parked in the driveway and was not running. I was standing beside it when it happened. There was no glass inside vehicle all the glass was outside vehicle indicating that nothing hit the windshield, and nothing was around vehicle that could have hit the vehicle.

Visibility/Wiper Nov 11, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11624595

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while pulling into a mall, there was an abnormally low rumbling and ticking sound coming from the vehicle. While driving 45 MPH, the message to turn off and restart the vehicle was displayed with an audible alarm.

Engine at 20,000 miles Sep 20, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11615621

I had my vehicle in PARK in my driveway. I was standing outside the vehicle & after I pulled the keys out of the ignition, the vehicle started rolling backward. My feet were on the ground the whole time, the vehicle was in park. I pulled the emergency brake as it was rolling with my legs stuck between the car and the door.

Service Brakes Jun 6, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11592773

My vehicle is almost un-drivable at night due to a terrible headlight bean pattern. See attached image. I have taken to two different Kia Dealerships with no results and reached out to Kia. Something is seriously wrong with these lights.

Exterior Lighting Apr 29, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11585751

Out of no where and without warning, the steering wheel pulls in opposite direction and stability control light turns green and stays on the dashboard. Cannot move steering wheel. Simultaneously, the HD radio will get very staticy and abruptly shut off.

Steering Aug 28, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11541289

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Kia itself: 9 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 killed, 9 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 11 per 100,000 built. Every Soul model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first · Kia warranty extension WTY041This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Kia warranty extension (28) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 51

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-08-19

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 45 service bulletins, 5 warranty extensions, 1 other

Most often about: Electrical System, Engine, Power Train, Structure, Equipment.

TSB_ELE426 Service bulletin
2026-08-19 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below. Affected vehicles may overestimate travel times during route calculation.
TSB_ELE425 Service bulletin
2026-07-29 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT (CA2605) - This bulletin provides information to replace the front view camera on certain 2023-2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from March 15, 2022, through March 23, 2024. The affected vehicles may exhibit various warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster accompanied by DTC C272246.
TSB_BOD336 Service bulletin
2026-06-04 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the driver’s door lock and trunk lid key cylinders on some 2019-2024MY Kia vehicles listed below. On affected vehicles, the stored key code may not correspond to the mechanical key profile, which can result in incorrect key cutting when the original key is lost or damaged.
TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
2026-05-28 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup
PS797 Other
2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
TSB_ELE402 Service bulletin
2025-11-04 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: POWER WINDOW MAIN SWITCH REPLACEMENT (CA2510) - This bulletin provides information regarding an intermittent operation of the main power window switch on the driver’s door on 2022–2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from May 1, 2022 through July 19, 2024. The switch on the driver’s door may not operate the three passenger windows due to carbon buildup on the switch cont
WTY041_TSB_R1 Service bulletin
2025-09-11 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY041) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY041) to inspect and, if necessary, replace the horn assembly on certain 2020-2025MY
SST082_R1 Service bulletin
2025-09-04 · Electrical System
This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles. The piston oil ring(s) in certain Kia engines may, over time, damage the surface of the engine cylinder wall. This may lead to increased oil consumption which will eventually result in abnormal noise from the engine and/or illumination of

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0304 P0304 on Kia →	Cylinder 4 is misfiring.	Power Train · Ignition coils →	1 owner report

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.58%

failed emissions

2,080 initial inspections of 2,043 vehicles.

Measure	The 2023 Soul	Every 2023 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	0.58%	1.6%	2,077
Failed the safety inspection	1.6%	1.1%	2,080
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.34%	0.16%	2,080
Miles driven a year	10,863	10,038	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	35,704	32,673	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Soul by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2025 A 0 12 31 mpg 2024 A 0 30 31 mpg 2023 this page D 4 54 Park outside 2022 A 1 95 31 mpg 2021 B 2 238 31 mpg 2020 A 1 388 243 mi 2019 C 3 140 111 mi 2018 C 3 222 111 mi 2017 C 3 290 93 mi 2016 F 5 823 93 mi

Common questions about the 2023 Soul

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2023 Kia Soul cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $19,890 for the LX FWD to $24,190 for the EX FWD, across 4 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2023 Kia Soul have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2023 Kia Soul, 2 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V830000, covering Air Bags. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2023 Kia Soul?

NHTSA gave the 2023 Kia Soul 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it D (63/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Kia Soul?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Kia Soul, the best EPA combined figure is 31 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2023 Kia Soul?

Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Soul, most often about engine, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 6 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 15 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2023 Kia Soul?

The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Kia Soul is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Kia Soul?

The manufacturer has filed 51 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Soul, most often covering electrical system, engine, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-08-19. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2023 Kia Soul do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Kia Soul failed the emissions check on 0.58% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2023 Kia Soul trim is the best value?

$4,300 separates the cheapest of the 4 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	4	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	54	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	51	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	4 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

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