AI Damage2020 KIA Soul: common problems
Owners of the 2020 KIA Soul filed 388 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and powertrain. The maker issued 123 service bulletins for this year. We found 2 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 388
- involving a crash
- 9
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 123
- YouTube repair videos
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 63% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- Engine: 245 complaints (63% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Powertrain: 91 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 27.
- Electrical system: 28 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 66.
- Steering: 16 complaints (4% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 13.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 15 complaints (4% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 10 complaints
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
- CVTnamed in 2 complaints
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 388 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 245 | 3 | 8 |
| Powertrain | 91 | 1 | 27 |
| Electrical system | 28 | 1 | 66 |
| Steering | 16 | 0 | 13 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| Engine and cooling | 11 | 0 | 19 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| Structure | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was being parked. The contact noticed an unusual sound, and the engine revved up. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable. The vehicle went across the street into the neighbor's yard.
The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 35 MPH and going up a slight hill, the vehicle stalled. The contact's son said multiple unknown warnings illuminated. The son depressed the brake pedal and felt that it was very hard to depress.
The drivers and passengers airbags failed to deploy. The driver side air bag did deploy.
I was in a front end collision with another vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. I impacted the second vehicle in their side passenger door at about 45-50 mph. This happened on us hwy 27 n in clermont, florida. Both my husband and myself were transported to the er. I was driving a 2020 kia soul.
While pulling into driveway and coming to a stop and the engine turned off . I let my foot off the brake and the car took off like a rocket and hit a parked car in our driveway . It pushed the parked vehicle forward about 2 feet until the car stopped . This is a dirt driveway.
Reason for Dispute & Desired Resolution: I am filing an executive escalation regarding a catastrophic engine failure on my 2020 Kia Soul, which is actively included in the Piston Oil Ring Safety Recall (Campaign SC209).
I’m having trouble with my pearl white paint peeling off my car. I am available for an inspection. The car has not inspected by anyone at this time. Waiting on instructions. This started last year July and just keeps getting worse every day.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and two hubcaps were damaged, and the vehicle was restarted.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 156 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Soul has 227 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 388, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
MISFIRE CONCERN DUE TO OVERRUNNING ALTERNATOR DECOUPLER - This bulletin provides information to address unresolved misfire events on some 2020–2024MY Forte (BDm) produced from January 1, 2019 through September 30…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the driver’s door lock and trunk lid key cylinders on some 2019-2024MY Kia vehicles listed below. On affected vehicles, the stored key…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION: CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC199 FL301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to update the software programming on the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. Kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY041) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin…
- This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic…
This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles. The piston oil ring(s) in certain Kia engines may, over…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides…
NHTSA lists 123 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 KIA Soul?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 388. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (35%), stalls while driving (24%), oil leak or consumption (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 KIA Soul?
NHTSA lists 123 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 KIA Soul from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.