2014 Kia Soul problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (402) · Exterior Lighting (114) · Steering (44)
🧭 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
621 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module:software 2022-02-18 · campaign 22V096000 · 128,280 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014 Soul vehicles. The front air bags may not deploy during a crash if the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) loses communication with the front impact sensors.
Risk: Front air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the ACU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC229.
Engine 2020-12-02 · campaign 20V750000 · 294,756 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
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.
Steering 2017-09-29 · campaign 17V608000 · 342,381 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
Risk: If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal 2015-03-02 · campaign 15V123000 · 208,858 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
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.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116.
Service bulletins (175)
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.
Service Brakes 2026-08-25 · SC334_OWNR_201 · Service Campaign
voluntary service campaign: owner renotification (sc334 flight 201) - this document is the owner renotification advising that kia is conducting a voluntary service campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake line(s) in certain 2014-2019 my soul vehicles that were originally sold in or a
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
Engine 2026-02-24 · PI2002B_OWNR_701 · Other
product improvement campaign: owner renotification (pi2002b fl701) - this document is the owner renotification advising that kia is conducting a product improvement campaign to perform a software update on 2014-2016 my soul vehicles equipped with 2.0l gasoline direct injection (“gdi”) engines to pro
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 175 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Engine“this vehicle was service with a new engine in 2021 by the kia dealer in south attleboro mass the car began to start loosing power on 10/15/ 2026 it now needs a new engine again i call the kia dealer to see if it had warranted and they said because it has 198 thousand miles the warranted is gone i don't understand how is a new engine last for only…”
2026-10-02 · Unknown Or Other“i purchased my kia soul because i believed i was purchasing a dependable vehicle that i could rely on for my everyday transportation. unfortunately, my experience with the vehicle has been very different. over time, i have experienced ongoing and serious problems with the engine, particularly excessive oil consumption. the vehicle consumes oil freq…”
2026-09-29 · Unknown Or Other“trouble with acceleration, when coming to a full stop then trying to accelerate the car feels like it doesn't want to move. slows down to approximately 15mph when going up hills even when gas pedal pushed down all the way. feels like it's about to stall at stop signs, etc.…”
2026-09-24 · Fuel/Propulsion System“i bought the car august 21st 2026 and i'm september 20th i was driving down the interstate and my car starting shaking. i found out it's the catholic converter. i read they're was a recall on the kia for that issue. …”
2026-09-21 · Unknown Or Other“the engine powered down to the point where the car stalled out. it would not accelerate. this was quite dangerous! i was in traffic when this happened. trying to get it to a safer spot, i restarted the engine a few times; the brakes were extremely hard & wouldn't let me mash them down to catch to stop, so i immediately pulled the handbrake up & sh…”
2026-09-16 · Engine“the contact owns a 2014 kia soul. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power and came to a complete stop. after cooling down for approximately 10 minutes, the vehicle was restarted; however, smoke emanated from the engine bay and entered the cabin, and the vehicle stalled in traffic without warning. the rod bearing engin…”
2026-09-14 · Engine · 110,724 mi“the contact owns a 2014 kia soul. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. the contact researched and discovered that there were several unknown recalls associated with the vin. the dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. the vehicle was towed to the deal…”
2026-08-31 · Air Bags · 175,000 mi“the contact owns a 2014 kia soul. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light unexpectedly illuminated. the dealer was contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 175,000…”
2026-08-29 · Power Train“l have a 2014 grey kia soul with engine problems engine recall. the car has stopped multiple times. the ksds is already installed since my kia in limp mode can’t got past 40mph. its engine recall p1326 knock sensor rod bearing engine recall. everything on car is up to date oil change last month and all other car parts. smoke come inside car…”
2026-08-27 · Unknown Or Other“writing to get some relief and a recall for my expenses due to a failed catalytic converter. the same issue was reported and recalled on the 1.6l engine in 2019. 19v120.mine is 2014 kia soul 2.0l engine. i am showing multiple other reports on this site which had the same issues as well. 11736089 and 1700997. catalytic converter failure. no codes. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.