6 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
Certain Kia Seltos and Soul vehicles may have piston oil rings that weren't manufactured correctly. Over time, this can cause damage inside the engine. If the engine is damaged, it may stall unexpectedly while you're driving, or in some cases catch fire. Either of these increases the chance of a crash or of someone being injured.
In some Kia Soul and Kia Seltos vehicles, a manufacturing error can cause the side curtain airbags to deploy unexpectedly. This means an airbag could inflate at a time when it isn't meant to, rather than only when needed to protect occupants in a crash. This issue can involve the side curtain airbag module on either side of the vehicle.
Kia is recalling certain Seltos, Soul, and Sportage vehicles equipped with an Idle Stop and Go system. The electronic controller for this system's oil pump may have damaged electrical components inside it. This damage can cause the oil pump to overheat, which increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
⚠ NHTSA advises: park outside and away from structures (fire risk).
These Kia vehicles have a digital instrument cluster with a small screen instead of traditional gauges. When the vehicle starts, this screen may fail to show any information at all. That means the driver cannot see tire pressure readings, warning messages, or warning lights. Kia dealers will update the instrument cluster software at no charge. Owner letters were mailed May 26, 2023.
The cover on the air bag control unit may press against a memory chip on the circuit board inside and damage the electrical circuit. This affects certain Kia Forte, Forte Koup, Sedona, Soul, and Soul EV vehicles. If the circuit is damaged, the air bags could be deactivated and not deploy in a crash. Dealers will inspect the control unit and update its software or replace it as needed, free of charge.
Some Kia Soul and Seltos vehicles have small engine parts that were not treated correctly during manufacturing. This can lead to damage inside the engine over time. If the engine becomes damaged, it may stall while you are driving, which raises the chance of a crash. Oil could also leak from the damaged engine onto hot exhaust parts nearby, which raises the risk of a fire starting under the hood.
Recalls and NHTSA owner complaints for each model year, side by side. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and better-selling or older years naturally collect more — read this as a record, not a ranking.
| Model year | Recalls | High / critical | Do-not-drive / park-outside | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 218 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 135 | 11 | 8 | 12 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 377 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 232 | 12 | 3 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| 2023 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 54 | 6 | 1 | 15 |
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls covering the 2018–2023 Kia Soul. 5 of them are rated high or critical on this site. The most recent is "Kia Seltos and Soul Engine Piston Rings Defective" (NHTSA campaign 25V099000), reported Feb 17, 2025.
The 2023 Kia Soul has the most, with 4 recalls. The 2018 model year has the fewest of the years we cover, with 1. Newer model years have had less time to collect recalls, so a low count on a recent year is not a guarantee.
Yes. 1 Kia Soul recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory from NHTSA: Kia Seltos, Soul, Sportage: Oil Pump Fire Risk (23V531000). These apply only to the affected vehicles, so check your VIN.
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall often applies to only some vehicles of a model year, and the VIN lookup shows the ones still unrepaired on your car. Recall repairs are free at any franchised Kia dealer, including for second owners.
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: