2023 Kia Soul problems and complaints
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Soul. The most-reported areas: Engine (14), Electrical System (14), Unknown Or Other (13).
Key takeaways
- 54 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 6 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 15 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 14 | 26% |
| Electrical System | 14 | 26% |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 | 24% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 15% |
| Steering | 8 | 15% |
| Lane Departure | 7 | 13% |
| Power Train | 5 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 9% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% |
| Tires | 1 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Kia Soul SUV FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine - filed 2026-10-10
While driving the engine started shaking and smoke blew out from the tailpipe and then the vehicle stalled. I brought it in and the same thing happened on the way home from the dealership after it was supposedly fixed.
Service Brakes - filed 2026-10-02
My brakes failed to stop my car I was driving down [XXX]. I went to brake because I was going to slow down cause I was just over the speed limit and my brakes went all the way to the floor and I I could not stop the car with the brakes , so I pulled over to the side and slowly came to a halt. I was so shook up. I do no...
Electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-09-29
It appears to get really hot and then it starts to smoke abundantly. And then the car struggles to drive forward. And something about instrument cluster
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More for the 2023 Kia Soul
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.