2014 Kia SOUL problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
896 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
88,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2014 model year. Data snapshot: . 621 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 550 of 896 complaints (61.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 122 | 13.6% |
| Steering behavior | 62 | 6.9% |
| Braking behavior | 57 | 6.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 57 | 6.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 19 | 2.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 15 | 1.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 550 |
| Exterior Lighting | 124 |
| Electrical System | 94 |
| Unknown Or Other | 82 |
| Power Train | 57 |
| Steering | 55 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 53 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 41 |
Engine: 550; Exterior Lighting: 124; Electrical System: 94; Unknown Or Other: 82; Power Train: 57; Steering: 55; Fuel/Propulsion System: 53; Engine And Engine Cooling: 41
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 62 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 63 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 110 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 139 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 211 |
| 150,000 and above | 36 |
Under 25,000: 62; 25,000 to 49,999: 63; 50,000 to 74,999: 110; 75,000 to 99,999: 139; 100,000 to 149,999: 211; 150,000 and above: 36
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (211). 275 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 26 |
| 2015 | 19 |
| 2016 | 26 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 70 |
| 2019 | 177 |
| 2020 | 165 |
| 2021 | 119 |
| 2022 | 81 |
| 2023 | 75 |
| 2024 | 37 |
| 2025 | 41 |
| 2026 | 26 |
2013: 1; 2014: 26; 2015: 19; 2016: 26; 2017: 33; 2018: 70; 2019: 177; 2020: 165; 2021: 119; 2022: 81; 2023: 75; 2024: 37; 2025: 41; 2026: 26
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 122 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 62 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 57 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10820414 · 2016-01-15 (January 15, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,500.
Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10820414 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10820483 · 2016-01-15 (January 15, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S SKID LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 102,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10820483 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10579438 · 2014-04-13 (April 13, 2014)
STEERING STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNED SLIGHTLY LEFT OR RIGHT. DEALER SAYS THE STEERING RACK NEEDS REPLACING. PART WILL NOT BE HERE UNTIL APRIL 30TH (1 MONTH). DEALER WILL NOT RELEASE THE CAR TO ME BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. KIA WILL NO LONGER TALK TO ME AT ALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR. ONLINE I SEE THAT PAST KIA SOUL'S HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. *JS
Owner-reported narrative. 1,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579438 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10592633 · 2014-05-20 (May 20, 2014)
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW 2014 KIA SOUL. I NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCK CYLINDER IN THE STEERING COLUMN SEEMS VERY LOOSE. WITH THE KEY IN THE CYLINDER IT HAS TOO MUCH PLAY. THE KEY WIGGLES AROUND VERY LOOSELY. BEING CONCERNED THAT IT MAY CAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING, I TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT KIA DEALERS' SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. BOTH TOLD ME IT'S NORMAL;. I'VE BEEN DRIVING SINCE 1969 AND HAVE NEVER SEEN AN IGNITION SWITCH HAVE THAT MUCH PLAY IN IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE THE CAR TO TURN ITS…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10592633 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10587791 · 2014-05-12 (May 12, 2014)
WHEN BRAKING, THERE IS FADING PEDAL FEEL WHEREBY BRAKING GRIP IS NOT LINEAR WITH PEDAL PRESSURE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10587791 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10604464 · 2014-06-19 (June 19, 2014)
ANIMAL RAN IN FRONT OF VEHICLE, WE WERE FORCED TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES, CAR DID NOT STOP. HEAD ON COLLISION INTO THE TREE(S). THE CAR STOPPED DEAD CENTER IN THE LARGE TREE I HIT, CAUSING MY BODY (PASSENGER) TO GO BETWEEN THE LAP BELT AND SHOULDER BELT. MY BODY SMACKED THE DASH AND HEAD SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. UPDATED 07/01/14 *BF..UPDATED 08/12/14 *BF
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10604464 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10692746 · 2015-03-07 (March 7, 2015)
BATTERY DIED, DEFECTIVE, REPLACED WITH A NEW AFTERMARKET BATTERY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 3,602 miles reported. Look up ODI 10692746 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10915632 · 2016-10-12 (October 12, 2016)
HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT AT NIGHT AND DAYTIME WHEN IN MOTION AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND HAVE STAYED OUT FOR AS LONG AS 20 SECONDS. SWITCH IS IN THE ON POSITION. HAS HAPPENED WHEN IN MOTION, TURNING WITH SIGNAL ON, WHEN SETTING STILL IN TRAFFIC, IN MOTION WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, SITTING STILL IN DEALER SERVICE WRITING AREA. GREEN LIGHT ON DASH DISPLAY SOMETIMES GOES OUT AND SOMETIMES STAYS ON EVEN WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OFF. LIGHTS WERE MALFUNCTIONING THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER--HEAD LIGHTS WERE OFF, PARKING LIGHTS WERE ON AND SWITCH WAS IN THE …
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10915632 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10617083 · 2014-07-29 (July 29, 2014)
UNDER NORMAL AND MILD ACCELERATION, THERE IS NOTICEABLE HESITATION AND POWER LOSS WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS UP; MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN SHIFTING OCCURS FROM 2ND TO 3RD AND 3RD TO 4TH GEARS. *JS
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10617083 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10644226 · 2014-10-13 (October 13, 2014)
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM FULL STOP OR ROLLING STOP, VEHICLE HESITATES AND LOSES POWER WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10644226 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11080315 · 2018-03-19 (March 19, 2018)
MY KIA SOUL 2014 JUST BLEW UP AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS A 4 CYLINDER GDI. THE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES. THE ENGINE BLEW LOUD AND AS I CAME TO A HALT THE ENTIRE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THEN THE GAS TANK EXPLODED. I WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL GOING UP A HIP NOTICED THE ENGINE RIVETING HARD AND THEN THE CAR ENGINE MADE THAT LOUD BANG AND THEN IN 12 MINUTES CAR WAS ENGULFED AND GAS TANK BLEW AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED.
Owner-reported narrative. 78,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11080315 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11193341 · 2019-04-02 (April 2, 2019)
VEHICLE IN MOTION,DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 12MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED. ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. INITIAL DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR FROM KIA DEALERSHIP SAID INTERNAL DAMAGE TO FUEL PUMP. LESS THAN ONE HOUR AFTER PICKING VEHICLE UP NOTED NOISE FROM ENGINE DURING ACCELERATION AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DTC CODE INDICATED AN ISSUE WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11193341 at NHTSA ↗