Kia Soul Recalls (2021-2023)

What recalls does the Kia Soul have?

• 2021-2023 Kia Seltos Engine Recall (25V099)
  February 17, 2025 · 137,256 vehicles · Engine

  The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.

  Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

  Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge.

• 2023 Kia Soul Air Bag Recall (23V830)
  December 22, 2023 · 2,967 vehicles · Air Bags

  Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.

  Risk: An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.

  Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge.

• 2023 Kia Soul Drivetrain Pump Recall (23V531) Park outside
  July 31, 2023 · 39,765 vehicles · Transmission

  The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.

  Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.

  Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete.

• 2023 Kia Sportage Instrument Cluster Recall (23V298) Repeat recall
  April 26, 2023 · 108,936 vehicles · Electrical System

  2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

  Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge.

• 2021 Kia Soul Engine Recall (21V259)
  April 13, 2021 · 147,249 vehicles · Engine

  0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.

  Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge.

Which Soul parts are recalled most?

Which Soul model years have the most recalls?

How do I check my Soul for open recalls?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup. The lookup lists every open safety recall on that specific vehicle, so you will see which of the 5 Kia Soul campaigns above apply to you. You can also ask any authorized Kia dealer to run the VIN. The VIN is on your registration card, your insurance card, and a plate at the lower driver-side corner of the windshield. Brand-new recalls can take a few days to show up, so check again if you received a letter.

What are Soul owners reporting?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA since 2020, by model year. Complaints are unverified owner reports, but the components that come up most often show where owners are having trouble.

Excerpts from owner complaints (unverified):

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that during a routine inspection, the contact became aware that the oil level was low. No warning lights were illuminated.

2021 KIA Soul owner, Engine, NHTSA complaint 11642273

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V0999000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

2021 KIA Soul owner, Engine And Engine Cooling, NHTSA complaint 11645915

Unknown when i get shut off and it give me signal with engine and i bring it to kia dealer and found out that my 2022 kia soul had pin in cvvt broken and replace exhaust cam and cvvt assembly and its cost me almost 3000 dollar to fix and i had it as 2022…

2022 KIA Soul owner, Engine, NHTSA complaint 11643089

Can a recall make your Soul a lemon in California?

Owners of a Kia Soul often ask whether these recalls mean their vehicle qualifies under California's lemon law. Not by themselves. The question is whether a covered defect keeps coming back, or keeps the vehicle at the dealer, after a reasonable number of repair attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

1 of the 5 recalls listed here follow an earlier campaign on the same component, which can mean a first fix did not work. 3 involve the engine, transmission or high-voltage battery, the kinds of repairs that often take several visits or weeks of downtime.

Within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, California presumes the manufacturer had enough chances if the same defect was repaired two or more times when it is likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for any covered defect, or the vehicle was out of service more than 30 days in total (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases, and owners outside that window can still have a claim. An owner who prevails can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

What to keep: every repair order, the recall owner letters, your purchase or lease contract, and a log of dates, mileage and symptoms. Make sure every visit is written up, even when the dealer says it found nothing.

More Kia Soul lemon law pages

All Kia recalls · 2021 Kia Soul lemon law · 2022 Kia Soul lemon law · 2023 Kia Soul lemon law

Other Kia models with recalls

• Carnival: 7 recalls
• Carnival Hybrid: 1 recall
• EV6: 5 recalls
• EV9: 10 recalls
• Forte: 5 recalls
• K4: 3 recalls
• K5: 9 recalls
• Niro: 3 recalls
• Niro EV: 5 recalls
• Niro PHEV: 3 recalls
• Rio: 2 recalls
• Seltos: 4 recalls
• Sorento: 13 recalls
• Sorento Hybrid: 6 recalls
• Sorento PHEV: 8 recalls
• Soul: 5 recalls
• Sportage: 11 recalls
• Sportage Hybrid: 2 recalls
• Sportage PHEV: 3 recalls
• Stinger: 5 recalls
• Telluride: 16 recalls
• Telluride Hybrid: 2 recalls

Frequently asked questions about Kia Soul recalls