AI Damage2025 KIA Soul: common problems
Owners of the 2025 KIA Soul filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and forward collision avoidance. The maker issued 13 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 2
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 13
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 33% of all complaints
- 2 Forward collision avoidance 17% of all complaints
- 3 Lane departure 17% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 5 Backover prevention 8% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 8% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (33% of all).
- Forward collision avoidance: 2 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Lane departure: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Backover prevention: 1 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVT
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Airbag did not deploy or emergency braking system didn't come on. Police took pictures of car. The car is at the repair shop now. Insurance company hasn't stated if it will be totaled. There were no other problems prior to incident.
While driving, the vehicle began accelerating (forced acceleration) without driver input. When driver attempted to stop or slow the vehicle down, the brakes were unresponsive due to the brake override system failure.
Prior to Friday, August 1, 2026, I had not experienced any warning lights, warning messages, drivability issues, or other symptoms. The vehicle appeared to operate normally. On August 1, 2026, as I pulled out of the parking lot, the car surged or lurched forward while pushing on the gas.
The power steering no longer worked. I bought the car new in 11/05/2025. I only have 1,311 miles on the car. I did have an oil change done by the dealer about a week prior and the report showed no problems. I am now very concerned about driving it even after the car would be repaired.
Headlight housing kept falling out of the bracket Driving at night impossable. Fixed one light still dim lights maKES DRIVING AT night dangerous. Second dealer instructed me to not sue the suto light setting because it dims the headlights. It appears that the front bumper design blocks the light to the roadway.
Additionally, at **10,000 miles**, the vehicle began making **grinding noises when applying the brakes**, which is extremely concerning for a car that is still essentially new.
2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit highways.Also the…
Headlights when on dim are inadequate. You can not see the road. You can not drive with your lights on bright in traffic. Severe hazard to all. Near miss on animals and road damage. Very frightening.
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 1,428 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 32% least complained about).
On average one model year of the Soul has 227 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Lane departure. Windshield camera: calibration after windshield replacement.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater…
- 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…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
SERVICE ACTION: MDPS CONNECTOR LOCKING INSERT INSPECTION (SA623) - This bulletin provides information to inspect the steering MDPS connector on certain 2025MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced on June 16, 2025, which may…
- 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…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY041) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn assembly in certain…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
SERVICE ACTION: KIA CONNECT MODEM RESET (SA611) - This bulletin outlines the procedure for resetting the modem in certain 2016-2025MY Kia vehicles listed on page 3 that are equipped with Kia Connect Services. The…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY041) - This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY041) to inspect and, if necessary, replace the horn…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WTY041) - This document is a Reimbursement Request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY041) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY041.
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (WTY041) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related…
NHTSA lists 13 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 2025 KIA Soul?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, forward collision avoidance, lane departure. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (42%), airbags did not deploy (8%), A/C or heater (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2025 KIA Soul?
NHTSA lists 13 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 2025 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 2025 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.