Kia Soul Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Kia Soul drew the most (165; most described: stalling or shutting off while driving) and the 2022 the fewest (17).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 31 mpg combined, arrived in 2020 and has held since. Excludes the electric Soul EV.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2020 Soul Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	165	381	1
2021 Soul Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	55	233	2
2018 Soul Most described: engine failure or replacement	45	218	1
2023 Soul Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	41	51	4
2016 Soul Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	35	812	2
2017 Soul Most described: engine failure or replacement	34	272	1
2019 Soul Most described: excessive oil consumption	23	136	1
2022 Soul Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	17	88	1

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	0	12
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	0	29
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	4	51
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	1	88
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	2	233
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	1	381
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	136
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	218
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	272
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	2	812

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2020: 381 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Kia Soul
Model year	Complaints
2016	812
2017	272
2018	218
2019	136
2020	381
2021	233
2022	88
2023	51
2024	29
2025	12

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 27 to 31 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2025); 31 since 2020.

2025: gas 31 mpg

Show as a table

Kia Soul best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	27
2017	28
2018	28
2019	28
2020	31
2021	31
2022	31
2023	31
2024	31
2025	31

Questions

Which Kia Soul years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2020 (165) drew the most, then the 2021 (55). Owners of the 2020 most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving.

Which Kia Soul years have the fewest problems?

The 2022 (17) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024 and 2025 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Kia Soul years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2020, against 38 complaints in a typical Kia Soul year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.

Which Kia Soul years have the most recalls?

The 2023 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (4), then the 2021 (2). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-531 (2023 models).

What are the most common Kia Soul problems?

In the 2,232 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2025 models, owners most often describe engine failure or replacement (466 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2017, and 2020); stalling or shutting off while driving (462 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2020, and 2021); and excessive oil consumption (317 complaints). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Kia Soul year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 31 mpg combined, first reached by the 2020 gas version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.