701 of 844 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
83% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Kia Soul are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 99% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 59 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 78%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
Unknown . Engine or fuel mishap Car caught on fire as I was driving down the hwy with my 3 kids
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE12/13/2019FIRE2 INJURED
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR LATE AT NIGHT HEADING HOME FROM A CONCERT WHEN SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 25MPH AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NO SOONER THAN. I COULD GET MY DOOR OPEN, IT BURST INTO FLAMES. I HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN, SHIFTER, AND BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEN TO THE DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATIO…
Three of 701 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An …
ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may d…
STEERING
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 Kia Soul
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
