2023 Kia Soul Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report engine stalls or sudden loss of power while driving, sometimes with limp mode or warning messages. Dashboard warnings, a blank instrument cluster, and unintended acceleration or movement are also described, along with driver-assist steering or braking that acts without input. Where mileage is listed for the engine complaints it is low, under about 20,000 miles, and nearly all complaints were filed from 2023 onward.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power while driving

   • 13 complaints (24%)
   • median 8,872 mi at 1.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the engine stalling, shutting off or losing power while driving, sometimes at about 40 to 45 mph and sometimes with no warning light. Some say the car went into limp mode, and some describe a rumbling or ticking noise, a misfire code, or an oil level that was low after an oil change. In some complaints the dealer found no cause, and one owner reports that an engine recall did not appear for the VIN when searched. Listed mileage ranges from about 400 to 20,000 miles, and nearly all of these complaints were filed in 2023 or later.

   Recall 25V0990002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether recall 25V099000 (piston oil rings) has been completed on this VIN, and whether the piston noise inspection bulletin was performed. During a test drive, listen for ticking or rumbling and check the oil level.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am reporting a recurring safety issue with my Kia vehicle that began around Labor Day 2025. The vehicle has abruptly shut down multiple times while I was driving on public roads in Hillsborough County, Florida. These shutdowns occurred without any dashboard warning lights, including while stopped at red lights and while in motion, creating dangerous traffic situations. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11686327, filed 2025-09

   “First I get a safety issue warning with the front camera then I get a safety issue warning with a back camera well those warnings go off and I'm left with an ABS signal on my dashboard orange triangle with a exclamation point in it skid something with the car it shows it's weaving and I'm not sure what the fourth one was. But this has been going on going issue with this dashboard because when it starts flashing everything the car goes into limp mode. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11679044, filed 2025-08
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Dashboard warnings or blank instrument cluster

   • 20 complaints (37%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe warning messages and lights that appear one after another, such as safety system or lane system warnings, and some say those systems temporarily stop working. Some describe the instrument cluster going blank or no longer showing speed or other information, and one describes a continuous alarm with no speedometer or turn signals. In some complaints dealers could not reproduce the warnings, and one owner reports the car was kept at the dealer for months without a fix. Mileage is listed for just one of these complaints, at about 45,000 miles, and they were filed from 2022 to 2026.

   Recall 23V298000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 23V298000 for the instrument cluster display has been completed on this VIN. During a test drive, confirm that the speedometer, warning lights and turn signals all display and work normally after starting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am driving on the highway. No construction. No traffic. Cruising. No problems. I get a dashboard warning WRONG WAY! Turn around safely It was on for at least 10minutes. Very worrisome. But the lane assist was still working.”

   NHTSA complaint #11486261, filed 2022-09

   “I have had my car to the dealership 3 times and scheduled for a4th time for this same issue. It is intermittent which I realize makes it hard to diagnose however the dealership kept it overnight in 2nd visit to try to reproduce it and they did. When driving, the car will randomly start beeping and errors cycle thru in the dash. It tells me that my braking system needs to be checked then lighting system, airbag system failing etc. It goes thru about 5 or 6 system errors. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11547162, filed 2023-09
3. 3
   Engine

   Unintended acceleration or movement when parking

   • 14 complaints (26%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 0.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the car accelerating or moving on its own, including when parking, backing up, or after a shift into drive, and in some cases the car kept accelerating with the brake pressed. Some describe a sudden surge while driving, and one says the car rolled backward in park after the keys were removed. One report says the surge began without the accelerator being pressed. Mileage is not listed for these complaints, and one describes the event happening within about three months of purchase.

   What to check: Ask the dealer to check for stored throttle or transmission fault codes on this VIN, and request records of any unintended movement repairs. On a test drive, confirm that the car stays put in park and moves smoothly when shifted into drive or reverse.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had my vehicle in PARK in my driveway. I was standing outside the vehicle & after I pulled the keys out of the ignition, the vehicle started rolling backward. My feet were on the ground the whole time, the vehicle was in park. I pulled the emergency brake as it was rolling with my legs stuck between the car and the door. I was finally able to push myself into the car to hit the brake with my foot & the car stopped right as it hit the curb of the other side of the street. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11592773, filed 2024-06

   “On 8/15/23 I received my car back from the dealership after almost a month of repairs, trying to fix the issue where it would turn itself on and where it shut down while driving 45 miles an hour; at various points I was told it was the crankshaft, camshaft, spark plugs, fuel injectors, the pcm and a connector that was overheating. Yesterday, 8/15/23 the car was stuck in a long crank cycle. I notified the dealership. They told me to call kia. I drove the car to pick my husband up from the airport. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11539009, filed 2023-08
4. 4
   Lane departure

   Driver-assist steering or braking acts unexpectedly

   • 11 complaints (20%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 0.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe lane assist or steering that pulls or jerks the wheel toward other traffic or seizes without driver input, sometimes with a stability control light on. Some describe cruise control or lane keeping activating on its own, and one reports that braking and hazard lights came on with no collision while starting from a stop. One report describes a steering wheel that turned sharply and seized, leading to a crash into trees. Listed mileage is about 17,000 and 33,000 miles, and these complaints were filed between 2023 and 2025.

   What to check: Ask whether lane assist, cruise control and braking software updates have been applied to this VIN. On a test drive, check that lane assist and cruise control can be turned off easily and that the car behaves normally on a two-lane road.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When driving my vehicle under normal conditions, the car will unexpectedly slow down on its own, and the system brake lights and hazard lights will activate as if I am about to be in a collision, even though no accident is occurring. I have noticed this issue most frequently when I am stopped at a traffic light and begin to accelerate again. Once I turn the car off and restart it, the warning lights go away, but the issue continues to reoccur.”

   NHTSA complaint #11690015, filed 2025-09

   “Since I purchased the car the steering wheel will jerk, when im on a 2 lane road. It always jerks towards on-coming traffic, and it only does this when there is a car coming in the opposite lane and is just about to pass me. I have to fight with the steering wheel to get it back to go straight. Because of this whenever I am on a 2 lane road like this I always drive slow. This is the first car I've owned with this feature so I wasn't sure if that was just a glitch in the feature and just dealt with it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11689118, filed 2025-09

Buying note. Buyers considering this model year may want to ask first about engine shutdowns and warning messages, since those are the most common complaint groups in the sample. Check whether recalls 25V099000 (engine piston rings) and 23V298000 (instrument cluster) have been completed on the VIN, and ask the dealer to read stored engine and warning codes before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 43 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.