Skip to content
Engine coolingPart report

2010 Kia Soul Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
4%of 135 total for the year
Median mileage
13,248miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2010 Kia Soul, 4% of the 135 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 13,248 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was having problems with the electrical system in the Kia, after that was fixed the car was still not running right, it was sluggish and using a lot of gas. The head was cracked, and several of the valves were messed up and eventually the whole engine had to be replaced, the whole process took approximately 2 1/2 months.”

NHTSA complaint #10430517, filed 2011-10, 13,248 miles

“The 2010 SOUL had a major failure when it impacted a tree at 10 MPH. There were no leaking fluids, signs of smoke or fire. The vehicle caught fire roughly 15 minutes later and burned totally up before fire crews could get there to put it out. The origin of the fire was between the engine and the fire wall. I feel as though the safety bumpers that are required by law to work bellow the 15 MPH constraint are under designed.”

NHTSA complaint #10351526, filed 2010-08, 20,000 miles

“Within a week of taking delivery on 7/24/09, the interior and most especially the door skins were already acquiring marks and scratches - a slight finger nail scratch required a special product to remove etc. There have been a few intermittent problems. 1. When releasing the clutch pedal there was a noise that sounded like a cable that has since become more consistent. On 8/3/09, I had an appointment with the dealer and was told it was the cable connected to the throw-out bearing which was said to be normal. …”

NHTSA complaint #10284471, filed 2009-09, 100 miles

“The contact owns a 2010 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, a semi-truck entered her lane of traffic which forced her vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway. The contact stated that the truck did not hit her vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off with the check engine, ABS, and brake warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle but the vehicle failed to restart after multiple attempts. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to her residence and then to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #11467850, filed 2022-06, 280,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2010 Kia SOUL. The contact stated that the engine revs excessively whenever the accelerator pedal is released. The rpms will go from 1,500 to 3,000. The dealer stated that they would investigate the issue. A representative inspected the vehicle and stated that it was not a serious safety issue. The contact took the vehicle to a few different dealers, but they all stated that there were no failures. The vehicle is still experiencing the issue and the contact is concerned that a crash could occur. The failure mileage was 5 and current mileage was 6,000. Updated 09/01/09”

NHTSA complaint #10277569, filed 2009-07, 5 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202312%
20222021%
20214720%
2020113%
201964%
201894%
201793%
201610613%
2015586%
2014556%
2013457%
2012326%
201142%
201054%

Other parts of the 2010 Kia Soul

Electrical system
24 complaints
Air bags
21 complaints
Body and structure
21 complaints
Brakes
16 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
14 complaints
Other or unknown
13 complaints
Steering
12 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
11 complaints
Engine
9 complaints
Vehicle speed control
9 complaints
Tires
6 complaints
Fuel system
5 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2010 Kia Soul

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology