2021 Kia Soul Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 2 NHTSA recalls and 238 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

53/100

High Reported Activity — 2021 Kia Soul

The 2021 Kia Soul shows high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the issues below and have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic.

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NHTSA Recalls

2 recalls on record

238

Owner Complaints

Filed with NHTSA

Crash Reports

3 fire reports

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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Kia Soul (2)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Kia dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Engine

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.

Remedy: 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…

NHTSA #21V259000

🔧 Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

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

Remedy: 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…

NHTSA #25V099000

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Most Common Problems — 2021 Kia Soul

Based on 238 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Engine

111

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Steering

Service Brakes

Suspension

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Kia Soul — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2015, 2016 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2019, 2022, 2023 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Kia Soul

Is the 2021 Kia Soul reliable?

Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Kia Soul has 2 recall campaigns and 238 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How many recalls does the 2021 Kia Soul have?

The 2021 Kia Soul has 2 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Kia Soul?

The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Kia Soul are: Engine, Engine And Engine Cooling, Power Train, Unknown Or Other. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.

Is the 2021 Kia Soul safe to buy?

The 2021 Kia Soul has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 2 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.

What year Kia Soul should I buy?

Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Kia Soul are: 2019, 2022, 2023. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2015, 2016.

How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.

Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.