2012 Kia Soul problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (156) · Engine (138) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (33)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Soul model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
309 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2023-09-25 · campaign 23V652000 · 1,730,192 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Engine 2019-02-22 · campaign 19V120000 · 378,967 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
Risk: Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2014-12-29 · campaign 14V822000 · 95,314 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kia Soul vehicles manufactured January 8, 2009, to October 2, 2013, equipped with a sun roof. A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.
Risk: A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install industrial adhesive strips to secure the headliner plates, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC112.
Service bulletins (132)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2026-06-09 · CS2311_TSB_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition: cylinder protector & decal installation (cs2311) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provi
Engine 2026-03-24 · SC176Y_TSB_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: subsequent repair action: catalytic converter replacement and engine inspection/replacement (sc176y) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin pr
Structure:body 2025-12-19 · CS2311_OWNR_PC201 · Other
customer satisfaction campaign: postcard owner renotification (cs2311) - this document is the owner renotification advising that kia is conducting customer satisfaction campaign. kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade and can be installed at the ignition
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2025-12-09 · PS797 · Other
pitstop: technical operations: external damage to ultrasonic sensor: this pitstop provides information related to parking distance warning (pdw) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. the pdw system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal
Power Train 2025-04-17 · TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: transmission fluid application guide - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid ty
Engine 2025-04-03 · TSB_ENG222_R8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta/kappa engines - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repair
Showing the 6 most recent of 132 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-28 · Steering“i own a 2012 kia soul with approximately 99,000 miles. the vehicle has never been involved in an accident. during a recent inspection at an authorized kia dealership, the technician discovered that the welds securing the steering-column mounting support to the cross-car structural support appear to have failed. the technician confirmed that the s…”
2026-10-22 · Engine“2012 kia soul 1.6l gdi (vin: [xxx]). case #[xxx]. safety hazard description: the vehicle experienced a sudden engine stalling event at highway speeds and repeatedly dropped into a restricted "limp mode" due to a recurring p1326 diagnostic code. this code is explicitly tied to kia's knock sensor detection system (ksds) monitoring structural connecti…”
2026-07-24 · Service Brakes“i purchased dorman part #74015 brake pedal stopper from autozone altamonte after an employee recommended it for my 2012 kia soul without checking system compatibility. i installed it that night. on, while driving on a busy road in orlando, fl, my brake pedal locked completely solid and could not be depressed. i had complete loss of braking and co…”
2026-07-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 156,310 mi“the contact owns a 2012 kia soul. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. no warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the residence. the contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, th…”
2026-06-30 · Service Brakes“the brake lines on my car failed. i had to use the parking brake to get the car to stop. typically, a brake failure leaves you with partial braking power, however, i had no brakes whatsoever. upon inspection, it appears that all the brake lines failed in the same area, where the brakes are over the gas tank. for them all to fail at the same time in…”
2026-06-18 · Steering“when i turn my steering wheel left or right there is a very large margin before the tires turn it rattles back and forth back and forth as i'm driving down the street no control for at least three degrees and either direction, also my front of the vehicle turn signals pop out and fall out to the road and i would drive with no turn signals on the fr…”
2026-05-12 · Engine · 84,213 mi“the contact owns a 2012 kia soul. the contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and failed to accelerate with the low oil warning light illuminated. the contact stated that the failure occurred after the contact’s spouse had added oil to the vehicle. the vehicle was able to restart, and additional oil had to be …”
2026-04-02 · Structure“see attached document for complaint.…”
2026-03-16 · Engine“check engine light came on. car starts to shutter upon acceleration as well when its idling. changed spark plugs 3 times since jan 2025 and coils twice. code for engine misfire in cylinder 3. also have to add oil every 2 weeks. …”
2026-02-02 · Steering“i have a used kia soul 2012 which i bought 3 years ago. it's steering column has started making strange clicking noises when i turn the wheel left and right. i went to kia dealership, they inspected the steering column and said it's gonna cost me $1200. they said it's not covered under "recall" policy. i don't have the money to fix it and i drive …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.