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2015 Kia SoulProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 903 owner complaints about the 2015 Kia Soul, most often about the engine. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-750 the manufacturer reports only 50% of affected cars repaired.

2015 Kia Soul
23
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.3× the Soul median · #1 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 50%Owner complaints903141 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage93kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 2, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2015 Kia Soul has problems

903 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
Engine63265
Fuel/propulsion system7710
Electrical system759
Power train619
Engine and engine cooling582
Steering449
Exterior lighting361
Vehicle speed control304
Service brakes2910
15 other systems7839

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

4 recalls

2015 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.

59%repaired · 2020 Q3

Engine

Recall 19V-120 · Feb 22, 2019 · 378,967 vehicles · 224,743 repaired

Risk. Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

61%repaired · 2019 Q1

Steering

Recall 17V-608 · Sep 29, 2017 · 342,381 vehicles · 208,174 repaired

Risk. If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

84%repaired · 2016 Q2

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Recall 15V-123 · Mar 2, 2015 · 208,858 vehicles · 175,842 repaired

Risk. If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing 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.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

93kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 377 engine complaints. 56% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
13under 30k miles213under 100k miles164100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

31 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $950 – $5,750

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2015 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

2015 Kia Soul safety ratings

2015 Kia Soul SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2015 Kia Soul frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2015 Kia Soul side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2015 Kia Soul side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (14.7% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2015 Kia Soul, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Non-crash Vehicle FiresDP18003 · closed May 10, 2019
    Led to recall 18V-907
  2. Engine FiresEA21003 · closed Feb 5, 2024
    Led to recall 23V-877
  3. Non-crash Vehicle FiresPE19004 · closed Dec 22, 2021
    Led to recall 20V-088
In owners' words

What Soul owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Sudden engine misfire and stall in major metropolitan area in high traffic. Diagnosis from my mechanic was failed valve and complete loss of compression to 2nd cylinder. Symptomatic of repeat catalytic converter issues leading to engine damage. Catalytic converter has been replaced twice-- once out…
Complaint 11775118 · Nov 2, 2026
RECALL SC176 INCOMPLETE- WHILE DRIVING IN AN UNINCORPERATED AREA IN [XXX] ([XXX] IN [XXX] COUNTY) THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER AND DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP ON A DANGEROUS CURVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BACK UP. THE CRUVE WAS SITUATED IN…
Complaint 11771908 · Oct 18, 2026
My husband purchased our 2015 Kia Soul 1.6L GDI in 04/18. It was recalled under the NHTSA 19V120 & Kia SC176 in 04/19. The recommended fix? Update ECU Logic. Completed: 04/24/19. Check engine light came in 07/19. My appointment in 08/19, at #1 Cochran Kia showed a P0455 large leak code. Per…
Complaint 11769993 · Oct 8, 2026

Own a 2015 Soul?

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