2014 Kia Soul problems
NHTSA has received 1,237 complaints about the 2014 Kia Soul, and 49% of them involve engine. After that come lighting (11%) and electrical system (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,237 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 49% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 52 and 110
- Injuries and deaths
- 42 and 3
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 838 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 83 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 62 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 85 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 144 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 145 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 156 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 90 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 51 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 8 |
What the data shows
Among the 838 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 85,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 103,000 miles (410 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 52 complaints mention a crash; 110 complaints mention a fire; 42 injuries reported; 3 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2014 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Kia Soul with enough data (565 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The vehicle hit a tree at an unknown rate of speed. The seat belts functioned, and the air bags were deployed. The vehicle caught fire immediately or shortly thereafter. Two bystanders could not open the doors because the door locks were still engaged. They had to break the glass, manually unlock the doors, then open them - the doors functioned normally after unlocked. It is my understanding that the door locks were supposed to disengage when the airbags deployed - they did not.
Hi I was looking at recalls for the soul after I saw a possible fire hazard and actually typed my VIN in and saw my car was recalled for a steering issue that could've lead to accidents and I was actually in an accident in 2017 in my 2014 kia soul because of something that happened with my steering that caused me to hit someone? A woman in front of me slammed on her brakes and when I tried to get over it's almost like the wheel had completely locked but up but I could still turn it, if that makes sense.
Engine cut off without warning while car was moving in boulevard traffic, decelerating as I approached a turn into a shopping plaza. Oil light came on. Engine would not restart. Mechanic says there are loose little pieces of metal inside engine and that engine must be replaced. I have followed all manufacturer's recommendations for maintenance. This engine should not have self-destructed at 93,000 miles.