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What 193 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Soul

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (193)Crash / fire / injury (33)Brakes (45)Electrical system (30)Airbags (25)Engine (24)Visibility & wipers (17)Lights (13)Transmission & drivetrain (13)Body & structure (12)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (10)Fuel system (9)

33 of 193 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Nov 4, 2012SteeringSuspensionTiresWheelsCrash

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW. THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND I WAS PULLED INTO A CURB. THIS CAUSED OVER $1600 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR. THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE AND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY METAL OR ANYTHING IN THE TIRE. ALSO, THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT HAS NEVER COME ON, SO I KNOW THEY WERE AT THE PROPER PSI. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES. THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND ALL THEY SAID WAS "THIS IS JUST BAD DRIVING." I THEN CALLED THE KIA COMPANY AND TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES. ONE PERSON EVEN ASKED HOW MUCH I WEIGHED! THIS VEHICLE IS A 2011 AND ONLY HAS 8,200 MILES ON IT. I HAD TO GO THROUGH MY INSURANCE TO GET IT FIXED. I BELIEVE THAT KIA SHOULD STAND BY THESE TIRES, BECAUSE NEXXEN COME STANDARD ON THEIR VEHICLES. SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED, I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES ON KIA VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10483323

Aug 31, 2012AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER IMPACTING THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES AND CONTUSIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,500.

NHTSA ODI 10473217

Aug 29, 2012AirbagsCrash2 injuries

MYSELF AND 13 YOA DAUGHTER WERE ON CR0151 WHEN WE WERE STRUCK BY A 1996 CHEVY S-10 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR 2011 SOUL HITTING THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT FENDER DOORS AND PILLAR BETWEEN THE RIGHT SIDE DOORS. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF WITH THIS IMPACT AND WITH ALL THE AIR BAGS WHY DIDN'T ANY GO OFF? ...UPDATED 09/12/12 *BF UPDATED 09/18/2012 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10473541

May 15, 2012Electrical systemCrashFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN SHE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY LOT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT A RESULT OF THE CRASH, BUT RATHER THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE WIRING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10458560

Feb 9, 2012Engine & coolingFire

THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AND THE WIND SHIELD EXPLODED. EVERYTHING MELTED DOWN AND CAR IS TOTALED. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN INTERIOR MALFUNCTION WITH THE CAR. WOULD LIKE KIA TO REPLACE THIS CAR WITH A NEW CAR BECAUSE THIS WAS A NEW CAR THAT I PURCHASED THROUGH KIA. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10447319

Dec 12, 2011AirbagsBody & structureCrash

ON THE ABOVE DATE THE REFERENCED KIA SOUL WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN A FORD 350 PICK UP TRUCK RAN INTO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AREA. THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. THE COLLISION CAVED IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR'S EXTERIOR SKIN AS WELL AS THE INTERIOR SKIN WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE SIDE AIRBAGS ON THE KIA SOUL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10439443

Nov 28, 2011Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO WARM, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 9,000.

NHTSA ODI 10437522

Oct 25, 2011BrakesCrash1 injury

PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE, CAR ACCELERATED AND BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR WENT OVER THE PARKING CURB ON TO WALKWAY, THE CORNER OF THE STORE STOPPED ME NO DAMAGE TO THE WALL, DAMAGE TO THE MY CAR. KIA SOUL, 2011 *TT

NHTSA ODI 10432736

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Working with the data? Download all 193 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Kia Soul verdict →