Kia Soul years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 16 model years of the Kia Soul by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2015, 2016, 2014 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | 7 | 0.2 | 0 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2024 | 31 | 10 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2023 | 54 | 14 | 0.5 | 4 | 6 | Fewest complaints |
| 2022 | 97 | 19 | 0.7 | 1 | 4 | Typical |
| 2021 | 245 | 41 | 1.4 | 2 | 12 | Typical |
| 2020 | 392 | 56 | 1.9 | 1 | 9 | Typical |
| 2019 | 143 | 18 | 0.6 | 3 | 13 | Typical |
| 2018 | 224 | 25 | 0.9 | 3 | 16 | Typical |
| 2017 | 291 | 29 | 1.0 | 3 | 17 | Typical |
| 2016 | 831 | 76 | 2.6 | 5 | 29 | Most complaints |
| 2015 | 909 | 76 | 2.6 | 7 | 36 | Most complaints |
| 2014 | 906 | 70 | 2.4 | 5 | 34 | Most complaints |
| 2013 | 670 | 48 | 1.6 | 3 | 23 | Typical |
| 2012 | 516 | 34 | 1.2 | 3 | 25 | Typical |
| 2011 | 194 | 12 | 0.4 | 3 | 27 | Fewest complaints |
| 2010 | 135 | 8 | 0.3 | 3 | 23 | Fewest complaints |
- 202514 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 202431 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 202354 complaints · 4 recallsFewest complaints
- 202297 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2021245 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2020392 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2019143 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2018224 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2017291 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2016831 complaints · 5 recallsMost complaints
- 2015909 complaints · 7 recallsMost complaints
- 2014906 complaints · 5 recallsMost complaints
- 2013670 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2012516 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2011194 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 2010135 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
Fewest complaints for their age: 2025, 2010, 2024, 2011, 2023.
About this comparison
What Kia Soul years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2015, 2016, 2014 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 16 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.