Home · 2011 Kia Soul · Complaints

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)

9 of 193 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Oct 7, 2024Speed controlFuel system

While driving my car just started accelerating in traffic and I couldn’t get it to stop even while hitting brakes trying not to hit another vehicle. Fortunately found a way to pull to side of road and throw in park and it was still revving up and didn’t stop til I turned off car completely. So terrifying. Now I’m [XXX] trying figure out how I’m going to get back home in this dangerous vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11618421

Dec 2, 2023BrakesFuel systemVisibility & wipers

When you press the break the car stalls, when you fuel up the car it will not start. Autos unlimited in Rolla, Mo sold it as inspected with "" nothing "" on the inspection sheet. This dealer is claiming they will "fix: this issue. It cost me 480.00 to fix it. --- evap canister purge vent- evap leak- fuel malfunction- canister solenoid.

NHTSA ODI 11558072

Apr 15, 2023Electrical systemFuel system

After getting fuel, the car stalls immediately. I have to push the gas petal and give it several pushes to get it to go. Sometimes it stalls while driving. It will turn off randomly especially after pressing the break pedal. It turns off, and all the warning lights turn on. Then it totally turns off all sources of power to it. Bluetooth microphone has not worked since I got it with 30 miles on it. Now it has 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11517163

Jan 19, 2021EngineFuel system

MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING OFF AND ONE NO PROBLEM DRIVING THE PROBLEM IS WHEN I PUT GAS IN CAR THE CAR WANT START UNTIL I GIVE IT GAS A LITTLE. I DON'T HAVE PROBLEM TO CRANK CAR. AND AFTER I CRANK MY CAR AFTER I PUMP THE GAS TO START IT. THERE IS NO PROBLEM ONLY WHEN I GET GAS. IT GOES OFF MAYBE AFTER A LONG WHILE BUT THEN COME BACK ON WHEN GAS GET TO LOW AND THEN PROBLEM STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN. I HAVE ASK KIA DEALER ABOUT RECALLS ALL THE TIME THEY SAY ALL RECALLS ON VEHICLE ARE DONE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT FUEL PROBLEM OR PIPE THAT CAUSE FIRES ON VECHICLE. I READ AS RECENT AS JAN 18 THERE WAS RECALL IN ANOTHER COUNTRY ON THIS .THE LIGHT WENT OFF JAN 15 BUT CAME BACK ON JAN18

NHTSA ODI 11388785

Mar 18, 2020Fuel system

KIS CONSUMING OIL, THE OIL INDICATOR DOESN'T TURN ON UNTIL AFTER THE OIL STICK SHOWS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE AND THEN IT ONLY BLINKS OCCASIONALLY.

NHTSA ODI 11318654

Jun 18, 2018EngineFuel systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SOUL. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE EXACT ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11102349

Jul 9, 2015Fuel system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS SLOW TO REGISTER THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL SENDER ASSEMBLY PUMP HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 10733034

Jun 18, 2013Fuel systemBody & structureEngineCrash1 injury

TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND IV REAR ENDED OV1 WHICH PUSHED OV1 INTO OV2 WHICH WAS PUSHED INTO OV3. VEHICLE IN QUESTION (KIA SOUL) WAS THE IV. THE IV SUFFERED EXTREME FRONT-END DAMAGE AND WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE OFFICER AT THE SCENE AND THE TOWING COMPANY DRIVER WERE ADAMANT THAT THE FORCE EXTERTED BY THE IV AND THE DAMAGE INCURRED SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIR BAGS. DRIVER OF THE IV SUFFERED INJURIES FROM BEING SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL (CHEST) AND DASH BOARD (KNEES). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10520395

Mar 11, 2013Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

THE CLUTCH AND FLY WHEEL WORE OUT ON THE CAR AT 22K MILES. THIS IS EXTREMELY EARLY FOR A CLUTCH TO FAIL. THE CLUTCH FAILED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY (I-81) AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH FAIL AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10502334

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 →