2020 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
498 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Kia Soul, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 32/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 31,250 miles.
Typical
Where 2020 sits among all Soul years
What owners report
“Engine burnt oil at 10,000 miles - dealership replaced motor, however now having issues with transmission”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Soul
“Transmission completely cut out. Had to tow to dealership and get an entire new transmission. 30k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Soul
“Paint bubbling on both side of the car. Kia claims there is no defect in their paint however it seems to be a known problem with the white Kia soul.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Soul
“My kia 2020 soul, the parking lights, the headlights and the rear lights stopped working. Lights bulb were out.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Soul
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 202 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 14,255 miles. Half of those reports fall between 6,959 and 37,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
138 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2020 Kia Soul. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2020 Kia Soul drew 498 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 32/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2020 Kia Soul problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Kia Soul are engine (241 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (88), and other (52).
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Soul problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Kia Soul problems around 14,255 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 6,959 and 37,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Kia Soul have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2020 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.