2025 Kia SOUL

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2025 Kia SOUL has 18 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (28% of all complaints), specifically: 2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because i couldn't see that my road had ended .i was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.iwas not taking any meds abd don't drink also drive at night on well lit h.

3 crash reports 2 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

5 complaints

28%

• 2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit h
• Hit a deer. Airbag did not deploy or emergency braking system didn't come on. Police took pictures of car. The car is at the repair shop now. Insurance company hasn't stated if it will be totaled. There were no other problems prior to incident.
• When pulling out of a parking spot all of collision responses started to flash. This included front collision, side collision and rear collision. The power steering no longer worked. I bought the car new in 11/05/2025. I only have 1,311 miles on the car. I did have an oil change done by the dealer a

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit h”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

4 complaints

22%

• Humidity gets insiste headlights. This issue affects headlights performance making hard to see at night. Safety is at risk.
• Headlights when on dim are inadequate. You can not see the road. You can not drive with your lights on bright in traffic. Severe hazard to all. Near miss on animals and road damage. Very frightening.
• 2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit h

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Humidity gets insiste headlights. This issue affects headlights performance making hard to see at night. Safety is at risk.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

2 complaints

11%

• 2025 Kia Soul LX Headlights. Totally inadequate standard headlights. Higher end models get LED headlights but this standard light system on the LX is dangerous on anything but well lit streets. Safety should not be an option. I would have upgraded to a model that has adequate headlights but was unaw
• Car window was broken into while the car was locked and the alarm was on. the alarm did not go off!

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“2025 Kia Soul LX Headlights. Totally inadequate standard headlights. Higher end models get LED headlights but this standard light system on the LX is dangerous on anything but well lit streets. Safety should not be an option. I would have upgraded to a model that has adequate headlights but was unaw”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

2 complaints

11%

• While driving, the vehicle began accelerating (forced acceleration) without driver input. When driver attempted to stop or slow the vehicle down, the brakes were unresponsive due to the brake override system failure. Because the vehicle could not be stopped or slowed down, and to avoid hitting or ha
• I am submitting this complaint to report serious concerns regarding the quality, safety, and reliability of my new Kia Soul, as well as the financial burden caused by defects that should not occur on a vehicle with such low mileage. At approximately **8,500 miles**, one of the original tires failed

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“While driving, the vehicle began accelerating (forced acceleration) without driver input. When driver attempted to stop or slow the vehicle down, the brakes were unresponsive due to the brake override system failure. Because the vehicle could not be stopped or slowed down, and to avoid hitting or ha”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

1 complaints

• While driving, the vehicle began accelerating (forced acceleration) without driver input. When driver attempted to stop or slow the vehicle down, the brakes were unresponsive due to the brake override system failure. Because the vehicle could not be stopped or slowed down, and to avoid hitting or ha

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 18 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: 2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit h
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
LIGHTING: Humidity gets insiste headlights. This issue affects headlights performance making hard to see at night. Safety is at risk.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: 2025 Kia Soul LX Headlights. Totally inadequate standard headlights. Higher end models get LED headlights but this standard light system on the LX is dangerous on anything but well lit streets. Safety should not be an option. I would have upgraded to a model that has adequate headlights but was unaw
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: While driving, the vehicle began accelerating (forced acceleration) without driver input. When driver attempted to stop or slow the vehicle down, the brakes were unresponsive due to the brake override system failure. Because the vehicle could not be stopped or slowed down, and to avoid hitting or ha
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)