Model year record

2023 Kia Soul

4 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 122 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 25V099000

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical

Component
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
137,256
Reported to NHTSA
2025-02-17
Owners notified
2025-04-04

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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 April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V830000

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
2,967
Reported to NHTSA
2023-12-22
Owners notified
2024-01-31

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V531000

Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: pump

Component
Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: pump
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
39,765
Reported to NHTSA
2023-07-31
Owners notified
2023-09-28

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V298000

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

Component
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
108,936
Reported to NHTSA
2023-04-26
Owners notified
2023-05-26

Defect description

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."

Safety 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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine178,872 mi
Electrical system16
Unknown or other16
Steering11400 mi
Service brakes9
Air bags6
Exterior lighting6
Forward collision avoidance: warnings5
Power train533,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking4
Lane departure: warning4
Lane departure: assist3
Vehicle speed control3
Back over prevention: rearview system braking2
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel245,000 mi
Lane departure: lane keep: steering assist233,000 mi
Tires2
Vehicle speed control: cruise control233,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pump1
Fuel system, gasoline1400 mi
Fuel/propulsion system1
Lane departure: blind spot detection1
Lane departure: lane keep: automatic steering117,000 mi
Parking brake1
Visibility/wiper1

The 2022 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2024 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.