Wrench.Pro

2020 Kia Soul: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2020 / kia / soul
known issues6 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-19)
complaints378 on file (2019-06-20 → 2026-09-16)
recalls1
investigations1
fars78 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Transmission failure requiring replacementPOWER TRAIN15 complaints2023-01 → 2026-07kia-soul-2020-transmission-failure
  • 11701939 Vehicle transaxle will start or feel like is slips and wont go pass 40mph on the highway and has become a safety concern. This started about a week ago and continues. No lights on dash and dealer claims they cant duplicated concern. On the way to the dealer it was doing it and
  • 11530222 Approximately 30 miles into a trip, with mostly highway driving, the transmission failed completely. Stepping on the gas pedal caused the engine to roar but did not move the car. Unfortunately, this happened while I was driving eastbound on the San Francisco Bay Bridge, causing
  • 11518632 My experience: My transmission failed while driving at full speed on the highway. My car initially started balking, with RPMs jumping between 2000 and 3000 RMPs. Then, it revved high and RPMs suddenly jumped into the red while the car was not propelling forward at any real
Paint bubbling and peeling on white finishUNKNOWN OR OTHER10 complaints2024-09 → 2026-07kia-soul-2020-paint-bubbling-peeling
  • 11749607 Vehicle paint is bubbling and pealing. This is the Snow White Pearl paint. Dealer's response is that it is not their problem and the manufacturer states that they will not make any repairs or compensation. There are also numerous rust spots all over the car as shown in attached
  • 11693943 Paint is bubbling and peeling off in large sections down to the primer coat. The paint is shedding. Paint does not appear to have adhered to the E-coat
  • 11612384 My 2020 Kia Soul S is not even five years old yet and far under 100k miles and I noticed that the paint in several places has started to lift and this should not happen. I have heard that other Kia models with the same paint, Snow White Pearl, have had the same reported issue
Vehicle theft linked to missing engine immobilizerUNKNOWN OR OTHER6 complaints2023-04 → 2025-06kia-soul-2020-theft-missing-immobilizer
  • 11549909 My vehicle was stolen this morning from my home. I was not notified of a defect causing it to be stolen easily. Glass left in parking spot where car had been parked
  • 11568226 Unknown. Im honestly not sure if this complaint would fit in this category. I have contacted Kia multiple times and have gotten no response. I had my Kia updated with the anti theft system and i have gotten denied insurance more than once due to the fact that the update does not
  • 11517894 Car subject to theft SEE NHSTA press release Feb. 14, 2003 The press release announced a fix had already been achieved (EMPHASIS ADDED): Hyundai and Kia HAVE developed theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles that lack an immobilizer and will provide it FREE of
Excessive oil consumption from piston ring wearENGINE68 complaints2023-02 → 2026-08kia-soul-2020-piston-ring-oil-burn
  • 11737951 This vehicle burns over 2 quarts of oil between oil changes. Had 3 oil consumption tests. Kia states that this motor is supposed to burn that much oil. My catalytic converter is now going bad due to the amount of burnt oil clogging it. Why have these engines not been recalled?
  • 11692619 Since the first year of ownership, I have noticed that the vehicle burns oil excessively. I reported this issue to the Kia dealership, but I was told that “it is normal to add a quart of oil every other week.” Despite this statement, I believe this is not normal and points to a
  • 11644921 I have called Kia multiple times about my 2020 Kia soul burning oil. The car is only 5 years old and should not be going through oil like it is. My car takes 5 quarts of oil. I do an oil change every 3,000 miles. When I drain the old oil it’s only at 2 quarts. The car burns 3
Engine stall or loss of power while drivingENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM50 complaints2023-02 → 2026-08kia-soul-2020-engine-stall-loss-power
  • 11700730 Car is suddenly stalling without warning during idling or slow acceleration. No check engine light initially appears. When the stall happens a check engine light comes on. When the car restarts there is not a check engine light. Car will sometimes mar a funny sound like a loud
  • 11699234 The engine stalled. I was in a left turning lanev(which there's 2 left turning lanes and I was in the far left turning lane when the vehicle stalled and I had to get out in heavy traffic and push the vehicle to the gas station to the right of me. Cars were coming so close to me
  • 11711959 My 2020 Kia Soul has around 135,000 miles on it. When accelerating it sounded like a rod or piston was coming through the engine wall. Then began the chugging and loud knocking noises along with engine shutting off. Glad we were not on a railroad track or something like that. We
SC209 recall repair failing to resolve engine defectENGINE28 complaints2023-04 → 2026-07kia-soul-2020-sc209-recall-remedy-fails
  • 11712729 My 2020 Kia Soul is suffering catastrophic engine failure from a known safety recall defect involving the piston oil rings. I received a safety recall notice from Kia on July 5, 2021 warning that defective piston oil rings could cause engine damage and engine fires. I brought
  • 11747963 I own a 2020 Kia Soul that received Recall SC209. Kia performed the recall remedy and considered the recall complete. Before the engine failed, the vehicle had a documented history of excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was previously diagnosed by an independent third-party
  • 11683347 The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where an inspection was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the inspection. The

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
3782019-06-202026-09-1696ENGINE:235; POWER TRAIN:89; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:52; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:28; STEERING:16

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
21V25900013/04/2021ENGINEKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
DP22003closedLoss of Motive PowerENGINE2022-09-122023-12-12·The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complain

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202478legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2020 Kia Soul vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/kia/soul
@misc{wrenchpro_2020_kia_soul_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2020 Kia Soul},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/kia/soul}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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