⌘K
Home›Kia›Soul›2023
Kia · Wagon

2023 Kia Soul

Gas
Small Station Wagons
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
54 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA50
Crash ratingNHTSA overall4★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA31 mpg
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2023 Kia Soul is sold in the U.S. as a gas wagon 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 F. Owners have filed 50 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Soul Eco dynamicsGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl293531$2,000
SoulGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl283330$2,100

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

Factory warranty running out?

The 2023 Kia Soul is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC336
137,256 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskEngine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 25V099000reported Feb 17, 2025Kia America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

SC289
2,967 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskAn air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V830000reported Dec 22, 2023Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Power Train

SC275
Park outside39,765 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskAn electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.FixOwners 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V531000reported Jul 31, 2023Kia America, Inc.
▲high

Electrical System

SC270
108,936 vehicles
ProblemKia 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."RiskA blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V298000reported Apr 26, 2023Kia America, Inc.

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’ en

Opened Aug 6, 2025 · closed Dec 18, 2025 · action AQ25001

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
50complaints filed

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

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

Most-cited components

Electrical System13
Engine13
Unspecified12
Lane Departure8
Steering8
Service Brakes7

What owners describe

“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 d…”Jun 6, 2024 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2023 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer found no cause …”Apr 30, 2024 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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. #1 Cochran Kia: 5200 Campbells Run Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 Springfield Kia: 3525 …”Apr 29, 2024 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%

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

Other Soul model years

A

2025 Kia Soul

0 recalls · 12 complaints

A

2024 Kia Soul

0 recalls · 29 complaints

B

2022 Kia Soul

1 recalls · 88 complaints

C

2021 Kia Soul

2 recalls · 231 complaints

B

2020 Kia Soul

1 recalls · 375 complaints

C

2019 Kia Soul

3 recalls · 138 complaints

C

2018 Kia Soul

3 recalls · 216 complaints

C

2017 Kia Soul

3 recalls · 288 complaints

F

2016 Kia Soul

5 recalls · 812 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API