2012 Kia SOUL

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Kia SOUL has 669 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 8.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (36% of all complaints), specifically: 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. ⚠️ 29 fire reports filed.

29 fire reports 19 crash reports 25 injuries

669

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

8.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

239 complaints

36%

• 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
• CAR HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS WASHED THEN CAME HOME. CAR'S FRONT DEFROSTER WAS NOTED TO BE STUCK ON AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. QUICK CHECK UNDER THE CAR NOTED A FLAME THAT WAS EITHER COMING FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR REFLECTING IN THE EXHAUST FROM SOMEWHERE ON TH
• 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 WOR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 20 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“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 complaint filing

STEERING

166 complaints

25%

• I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KIA SOUL IN NOV OF 2011. WITHIN 200 MILES OF OWNERSHIP, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND FALSELY ACTIVATED. THE ESC NOT ONLY FALSELY ACTIVATED BUT REMAINED ACTIVATED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND COULD ONLY BE TURNED IF CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO I
• 2012 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER STATES POWER STEERING FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO FIND AN ERROR CODE OF 300 ELECTRICAL AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING MOTOR. ON JAN 13, 2012 AS THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, HE DISCOVERED
• WE TRAVELED FROM TENNESSEE TO FLORIDA AND THE STEERING KEPT LOCKING-UP ON THE KIA SOUL. WE WENT TO GALEANA KIA IN FT. MYERS, FL AND TOLD THEM THAT ?WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY STEERING WHEEL JUST LOCKS GOING STRAIGHT AND HAS TO HAVE APPLIED PRESSURE TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT?. GALEANA KIA DID THIS ON

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KIA SOUL IN NOV OF 2011. WITHIN 200 MILES OF OWNERSHIP, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND FALSELY ACTIVATED. THE ESC NOT ONLY FALSELY ACTIVATED BUT REMAINED ACTIVATED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND COULD ONLY BE TURNED IF CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO I”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

44 complaints

• OPERATIONAL WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKES-STABILITY CONTROL-ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN.I.E. DO THESE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AS REQUIRED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES. *TR
• THE BRAKES ON ALL FOUR WHEEL ARE "EXTREMELY" SENSITIVE. THIS IS NOT BRAKES GRABBING, IT IS THE THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BRINGS BRAKING SYSTEM ON "HARD". IN A PANIC STOP SITUATION IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE LIGHT TOUCH TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITHOUT OVER BRAKING. THE DEAL
• I WAS SLOWING APPROACHING PARKING SPOT. VEHICLE STARTED SPEEDING RAPIDLY, I COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK BUILDING. MY SON WAS YELLING TO STOP, I SAID I AM TRYING AND CANNOT. THE AIR BAGS CAME OUT, CAR WAS SMOKING, BADLY DENTED. WINDSHIELD BROKE. WE WERE BRUISED AND SCRATCHED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“OPERATIONAL WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKES-STABILITY CONTROL-ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN.I.E. DO THESE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AS REQUIRED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

41 complaints

• 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
• THE 2012 KIA SOUL DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE, INSTEAD IT COMES WITH A CAN OF FIX- A- FLAT AND A AIR PUMP. THERE IS NO JACK EITHER. THE FLAT MAY BE FIXED IF THE DAMAGE IS ON THE TREAD AND THE HOLE IS UNDER 1/4 INCH IN DIAMETER. IF THE DAMAGE IS ON THE SIDEWALL OR GREATER THAN 1/4 INCH, THE VEHIC
• THIS IS A STANDARD 6 SPEED VEHICLE. REVERSE IS IN THE SAME LOCATION AS 1ST GEAR. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT ONE MUST PULL ON A SLIDER CONTROL IN THE SHIFT HANDLE TO GET INTO FIRST. HISTORICALLY, REVERSE WAS ALWAYS THE GEAR FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE DRIVER. I HAVE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THOUGHT I WAS IN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“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 complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

38 complaints

• 2012 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COULD NOT BE SEEN. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED KIA NEEDS TO CHANGE THE BACKGROUND COLOR OF ITS INSTRUMENTS TO WHITE LETTERS OVER A BLUE BACKGROUND. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS HARD TO SEE, THE RED NEEDLES ON A BLACK BACKGROUND. *JB
• STARTED CAR SUNDAY AT 1:30 PM. NOTICES GAS GAUGE NEEDLE WAS BELOW EMPTY. BACKED OUT OF PARKING SPACE, PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE - NO INSTRUMENTATION AT ALL. TACH AT O, TEMP GAUGE AT O, FUEL GAUGE BELOW EMPTY. SHUT OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED ENGINE - STILL NO INSTRUMENTATION DROVE SLOWLY TO NEAREST GAS
• THE RADIO FROZE AND I COULDN'T CHANGE THE STATION, PROGRAM, OR USE THE CD. NEXT THE BACKUP CAMERA WOULDN'T WORK. AFTER DRIVING FURTHER, THE SIGNALS AND LIGHTS ON THE DASH CEASED TO FUNCTION. I DIDN'T DRIVE MORE THAN 8 MILES GOING TO AND FROM WORK AND TO THE STORE. IT HAS RESET ITSELF SO FAR AFTER TH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“2012 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COULD NOT BE SEEN. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED KIA NEEDS TO CHANGE THE BACKGROUND COLOR OF ITS INSTRUMENTS TO WHITE LETTERS OVER A BLUE BACKGROUND. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS HARD TO SEE, THE RED NEEDLES ON A BLACK BACKGROUND. *JB”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 669 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KIA SOUL IN NOV OF 2011. WITHIN 200 MILES OF OWNERSHIP, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND FALSELY ACTIVATED. THE ESC NOT ONLY FALSELY ACTIVATED BUT REMAINED ACTIVATED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND COULD ONLY BE TURNED IF CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: OPERATIONAL WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKES-STABILITY CONTROL-ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN.I.E. DO THESE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AS REQUIRED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)