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2011 Kia SoulProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 194 owner complaints about the 2011 Kia Soul, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-652 the manufacturer reports only 28% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Kia Soul
54
CarFlaw IndexSolid year16% below the Soul median · #10 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 28%Owner complaints19455 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage120kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 27, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Kia Soul has problems

194 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic321
Electrical system302
Air bags2623
Engine242
Power train131
Service brakes132
Exterior lighting130
Structure123
Visibility110
15 other systems7418

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2011 Kia Soul recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

28%repaired · 2025 Q4

Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module

Park outside

Recall 23V-652 · Sep 25, 2023 · 1,730,192 vehicles · 478,615 repaired

Risk. An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

62%repaired · 2016 Q2

Body: roof and pillars

Recall 14V-822 · Dec 29, 2014 · 95,314 vehicles · 59,503 repaired

Risk. A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Brake lights: switch

Recall 13V-114 · Apr 1, 2013 · 980,377 vehicles

Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Kia.

Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Soul year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Soul median. How we score

'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2011 Kia Soul safety ratings

2011 Kia Soul SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2011 Kia Soul frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2011 Kia Soul side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2011 Kia Soul side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (15.1% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Kia Soul, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Hyundai and Kia ABS Module FiresAQ23002 · still open
    Open
  2. Non-crash Vehicle FiresDP18003 · closed May 10, 2019
    Led to recall 18V-907
  3. Non-crash Vehicle FiresPE19004 · closed Dec 22, 2021
    Led to recall 20V-088
In owners' words

What Soul owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her husband was at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was successfully jump-started; however, after driving approximately one mile, the vehicle began jerking and lost power again and was pushed to a residence. The…
Complaint 11722193 · Mar 5, 2026 · 154,655 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…
Complaint 11630130 · Dec 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the MIL warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle…
Complaint 11621679 · Oct 24, 2024 · 152,000 miles

Own a 2011 Soul?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.