Buying a used 2023 Kia Soul? Check these 4 recalls first
The 2023 Kia Soul has 4 recalls in this group, covering oil pump fire risk, defective engine piston rings, unexpected side-airbag deployment, and a dashboard display that may go blank. The oil pump entry carries a park-outside instruction, making current recall status especially relevant. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints, which are unverified reports, including 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 15 injuries. Engine and electrical system each have 14 complaints, unknown or other has 13, and service brakes has 8.
Before you buy
- Get the 17-character VIN from the seller and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows which recalls are still unrepaired on that exact car.
- Verify the oil pump recall remedy and current park-outside instructions.
- Request piston-ring recall records and ask about engine symptoms.
- Confirm side-airbag and dashboard display recall completion.
- Open recalls are repaired free at any Kia dealer, whoever owns the car — an open recall is a to-do item, not a bill.
Recalls covering the 2023 Kia Soul
| Recall | Area | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Kia Seltos, Soul, Sportage: Oil Pump Fire Risk · park outside | Power Train | critical |
| Kia Seltos and Soul Engine Piston Rings Defective | Engine And Engine Cooling | critical |
| Kia Soul and Seltos Side Airbags May Deploy Unexpectedly | AIR Bags | high |
| Kia SUVs and cars: dashboard display may go blank | Electrical System | medium |
What owners have reported to NHTSA
54 complaints filed for this model year, including 6 mentioning a crash, 1 a fire and 15 injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and popular models collect more of them simply because more are on the road.
| Problem area | Complaints | Recall in this area? |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 14 | Yes |
| Electrical System | 14 | Yes |
| Brakes | 8 | None found |
| Steering | 8 | None found |
| Driver Assistance | 7 | None found |
| Power Train | 5 | Yes |