NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 898 owner complaints for the 2015 Kia Soul.
Recalled components: engine, steering, and speed control. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (204 complaints, 23%), then engine failure or replacement (178). Most-reported area: engine (628 complaints, 70%; median mileage when it happened: 93,000).
More complaints than a typical Soul year
The 2015 drew 64 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 46 for a typical Soul year.
Years to avoid: 2020; best years: 2019 and 2022. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines.
NHTSA listing: SOUL. Components: Engine; Engine and cooling: exhaust system, emission control, catalytic convertor. Kia campaign SC176.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015.
NHTSA listing: SOUL. Kia campaign SC116.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2015 Kia Soul; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Engine fires
Engineering analysis EA21003Closed Feb 5, 2024 (opened Dec 22, 2021)
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: SOUL. Component: Engine.
Non-crash vehicle fires
Preliminary evaluation PE19004Closed Dec 22, 2021 (opened Mar 29, 2019)
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 20V-750, listed above.
NHTSA listing: SOUL. Components: Electrical system; Engine and cooling; Engine; Exterior lighting; Unknown or other.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 898 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Soul. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Check engine light204 · 23%
Median 104,000 miles at failure, from 129 reports with mileage
Engine failure or replacement178 · 20%
Median 92,000 miles at failure, from 115 reports with mileage
Stalling or shutting off138 · 15%
Median 92,000 miles at failure, from 103 reports with mileage
Loss of power or limp mode99 · 11%
Median 100,000 miles at failure, from 55 reports with mileage
Smoke or a burning smell95 · 11%
Median 85,200 miles at failure, from 62 reports with mileage
Excessive oil consumption83 · 9%
Median 92,200 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
Hesitation or slow acceleration71 · 8%
Median 95,000 miles at failure, from 54 reports with mileage
Engine knocking, ticking or rattling55 · 6%
Median 90,000 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage
Median 93,000 miles at failure, from 376 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system76 · 8%
Median 65,000 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
Electrical system75 · 8%
Median 64,000 miles at failure, from 42 reports with mileage
Powertrain60 · 7%
Median 92,600 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
Engine and cooling58 · 6%
Most named: exhaust system, emission control, catalytic convertor (21); engine, oil/lubrication (3) · Median 112,000 miles at failure, from 53 reports with mileage
Steering44 · 5%
Median 34,800 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Exterior lighting36 · 4%
Median 80,800 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
Unknown or other107 · 12%
Median 72,100 miles at failure, from 39 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Soul recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2015 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Soul drew the most (165) and the 2015 drew 64.
Owner complaints
2015: 898 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Soul
Model year
Complaints
2010
135
2011
194
2012
514
2013
662
2014
901
2015
898
2016
815
2017
272
2018
218
2019
136
2020
381
2021
234
2022
88
2023
52
2024
29
2025
12
Safety recalls
2015: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Soul
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
3
2012
3
2013
3
2014
5
2015
4
2016
2
2017
1
2018
1
2019
1
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
4
2024
0
2025
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 898 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Kia Soul, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (204), engine failure or replacement (178), and stalling or shutting off (138). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2015 Kia Soul safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2015 Kia Soul earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2015 Kia Soul?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2015 Kia Soul. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Feb 5, 2024.
How do I check if my Soul has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SOUL.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.