2023 Kia SOUL
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2023 Kia SOUL is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 9 on record.
2023 Kia SOUL at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
2023 Kia SOUL recalls 4
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this …
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer …
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safet…
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
2023 Kia SOUL common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
2023 Kia SOUL safety ratings
Rollover risk: 14.7% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2023 Kia Soul SUV FWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.
2023 Kia SOUL MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 2023 Kia SOUL costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2023 Kia SOUL — ranges cover the 3 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
NHTSA defect investigations 1
Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness Closed
On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspectio…
NHTSA #AQ25001 · Engine And Engine Cooling · opened Aug 2025 · closed Dec 2025An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.
Manufacturer service bulletins 51
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 51.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below. Affected vehi…
Bulletin TSB_ELE426 · Electrical System · Aug 2026TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT (CA2605) - This bulletin provides information to replace the front view camera on certain 2023-2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from March 15, 2022, through March 23, 2024. The affected vehicles may…
Bulletin TSB_ELE425 · Electrical System · Jul 2026TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the driver’s door lock and trunk lid key cylinders on some 2019-2024MY Kia vehicles listed below. On affected vehicles, the stored key code may not cor…
Bulletin TSB_BOD336 · Structure · Jun 2026TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at upda…
Bulletin TSB_ELE422 · Electrical System · May 2026PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating dis…
Bulletin PS797 · Back Over Prevention · Dec 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: POWER WINDOW MAIN SWITCH REPLACEMENT (CA2510) - This bulletin provides information regarding an intermittent operation of the main power window switch on the driver’s door on 2022–2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from May 1, 2022…
Bulletin TSB_ELE402 · Electrical System · Nov 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: POWER WINDOW MAIN SWITCH REPLACEMENT (CA2510) - This bulletin provides information regarding an intermittent operation of the main power window switch on the driver’s door on 2022–2024MY Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from May 1, 2022…
Bulletin TSB_ELE402 · Electrical System, Visibility/wiper · Oct 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY041) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides informat…
Bulletin WTY041_TSB_R1 · Electrical System · Sep 2025This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles. The piston oil ring(s) in certain Kia engines may, over time, damage the surface of the engine cyli…
Bulletin SST082_R1 · Engine, Electrical System · Sep 2025This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under SC336 titled “Engine Inspection/Replacement and ECM Logic Improvement”.
Bulletin SC336YZ_TSB · Engine · Sep 2025Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the SOUL FWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
Canadian recalls 4
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2023 Kia SOUL. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safet…
Transport Canada #2024549 · Aug 2024Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the side curtain airbag(s) may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the side curtain airbag(s) could inflate without a crash. Safety Risk: A side curtain airbag that inflates suddenly without a crash could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to in…
Transport Canada #2023652 · Dec 2023Powertrain
Issue: On certain vehicles, the circuit board in the electric oil pump assembly for the transmission may be damaged. As a result, the circuit board could short circuit and overheat. Safety Risk: A short circuit could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the transmission elect…
Transport Canada #2023421 · Aug 2023Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, the instrument cluster screen could remain blank when the vehicle is started. If this happens, you may not be able to see certain information about the vehicle, including the odometer, warnings, and malfunction tell-tale graphics. Safety Risk: Warnings and malfunction tell-tale information that doesn't display could increase the risk of a crash. Corr…
Transport Canada #2023251 · Apr 2023Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Kia SOUL
The Kia Soul is a subcompact crossover hatchback manufactured and marketed by Kia, produced from 2008 to 2025, in over three generations.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.