Home · 2012 Kia Soul · Complaints

What 512 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 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 (512)Crash / fire / injury (46)Engine (208)Steering (166)Brakes (45)Electrical system (38)Engine & cooling (31)Fuel system (23)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Body & structure (18)Airbags (17)Lights (10)

31 of 512 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters · page 2 of 2

May 17, 2021Engine & coolingEngine

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS EXCESSIVELY CONSUMING ENGINE OIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OCCASIONALLY THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER AND STALL WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAD THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE, AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD PLACE A REQUEST WITH THE LOCAL DEALER TO PERFORM A FREE OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER DECLINED TO HONOR THE REQUEST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11417427

Jun 22, 2020Engine & coolingEngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING A KNOCKING NOISE OCCURRED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AS WELL AS SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ENGINE AND OIL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS CLOSED TO THE DEALER AND COASTED INTO SPRITZER KIA CLEVELAND (3414 BROOKPARK RD, CLEVELAND, OH 44134) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A ROD WENT THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERRED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), HOWEVER HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 109,000.

NHTSA ODI 11330025

May 12, 2020Engine & cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,668

NHTSA ODI 11324301

May 1, 2019Engine & cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SPUTTER. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND FAULT CODE: P0240 APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A MUFFLER SHOP. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11205059

Oct 1, 2012Engine & cooling

I BOUGHT A 2012 KIA SOUL FROM CAPITAL CITY KIA IN MONTPELIER, VERMONT JUST OVER A MONTH AGO. IT HAD 600 MILES ON IT. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF DRIVING IT VERY SELDOM, IT STOPPED OPERATING WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY KEPT IT THERE FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND WORKED ON IT WHILE I WAITED AND THEN SENT ME ON MY WAY. THEY SAID IT WAS JUST LOOSE CONNECTIONS. A HALF AN HOUR LATER THE CAR QUITE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AGAIN AND I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR DIAGNOSTICS. I WAS FRUSTRATED AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT SOME REASSURANCE THAT IT WAS TRULY FIXED. THEY SAID THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD. I LEFT WITH THE CAR AND WENT INTO A STORE FOR A HALF OF AN HOUR AND WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE HOME, IT DIED AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY SENT THEIR MOST EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS TO ME WHO EXPERIENCED STARTING IT UP AND THEN HAVING IT DIE AGAIN. THEY HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN. UPON PICKING IT UP AFTER IT WAS WORKED ON, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A SPECIFIC THING( DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS OR HOW TO EXPLAIN) AND THAT IT WAS SET TO GO. YESTERDAY, WHILE I WAS OUT RUNNING ERRANDS IT DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT FOR AGAIN. KIA IN WILLISTON SAID THEY WOULD TAKE IT IN BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GET RIDE HOME, SO I ASKED TO HAVE IT TOED TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT IN MONTPELIER AND STATED THAT I WOULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR EVER AGAIN, CITING THE DANGER OF HAVING IT QUIT AGAIN AND THIS TIME IN A DANGEROUS PLACE AND AT A DANGEROUS SPEED. CAPITAL CITY HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE CAR WITH A 2013, WITH HIGHER PAYMENTS. I DO NOT WANT THAT. I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A CAR FROM KIA, AS I FEEL THAT THEIR PRODUCT IS INFERIOR AND THEIR SERVICE IS UNSATISFACTORY. I WOULD LIKE MY MONEY BACK AND I WOULD LIKE THAT CAR TO BE DESTROYED SO THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL EVERY BE IN DANGER WHILE DRIVING IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10478179

Sep 27, 2011Engine & cooling

VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE SLUGGISH, RPM WOULD NOT GO BEYOND 2500 RPM, HAD TO GET VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, LOST DRIVEABILITY. *TT

NHTSA ODI 10427688

← Newer

Working with the data? Download all 512 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 2012 Kia Soul verdict →