2023 Kia Soul Problems: 4 Known Issues

On the 2021-2023 Kia Soul, kia America is recalling certain 2021-2023 Kia Soul vehicles under NHTSA campaign 25V099000 (Kia's internal number SC336). On the affected Souls, the piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly. That manufacturing defect can lead to engine damage. NHTSA's stated consequence is blunt: engine damage can cause the vehicle to stall or catch fire, which raises the risk of a crash or injury. A stall in a small hatchback like the Soul is dangerous anywhere it happens in traffic, and the fire risk is what pushes this beyond an ordinary durability complaint. The campaign covers 137,256 vehicles in total across every model included in the recall — that figure is campaign-wide and is not a count of Souls. Owner notification letters for this campaign were mailed April 4, 2025, so a Soul that changed hands since then may have an owner who never saw the letter.

On the 2020-2023 Kia Soul 2.0L Nu MPI, nHTSA recall 21V259000 (Kia SC209) covers certain 2020-2021 Soul vehicles with 2.0L Nu MPI engines whose piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated. Kia communication 11017169/SST082 indexes a later PNSS vibration-inspection process to certain 2020-2023 Soul vehicles and describes ring-related cylinder-wall damage, increased oil consumption, abnormal noise, oil-pressure warning and P1327. That later bulletin does not make every 2022-2023 vehicle part of recall 21V259.

On the 2023 Kia Soul, kia recalled certain 2023 Soul vehicles because a manufacturing error in the side curtain air bag modules can cause them to deploy unexpectedly — that is, without a crash. In a Soul, the curtain bags run along the headliner above the side windows, so an unexpected deployment happens right beside the driver's and passengers' heads. NHTSA lists the consequence plainly: an air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash, since a sudden deployment while driving can both strike occupants and startle the driver. The campaign (Kia internal number SC289) covers 2,967 vehicles in total across every model included in the recall; that figure is campaign-wide and is not a count of Souls. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024.

On the 2023 Kia Soul, if you own a 2023 Kia Soul, it may be included in Kia America's recall of vehicles whose Idle Stop & Go electric oil pump assembly has an electronic controller built with damaged electrical components. Kia's concern is that those damaged components let the pump overheat, and NHTSA states the consequence plainly: an electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire. This is a manufacturing defect in the controller itself rather than something an owner causes through use or neglect, and NHTSA classifies it under the automatic transmission fluid/lubricant pump. The recall spans 39,765 vehicles campaign-wide, a total that includes the 2023 Soul, 2023 Sportage and 2023-2024 Seltos together. Because the risk is fire, Kia's interim advice for Soul owners was to park outside and away from structures rather than in a garage or carport until the vehicle has been repaired.