2020 Kia Soul engine problems
235 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2020 Kia Soul — 62% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“This car was purchased in December of 2025 with 26K miles on it. There are stall issues when using the auto start stop feature. I had to power down the car and restart it up to get the car to move. It also will throw the check engine light code and then after you drive it, it goes away which makes…”
filed Sep 11, 2026
“I own a 2020 Kia Soul with approximately 39,000 miles. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealer in connection with an engine safety recall (sc209). During the recall process, the engine failed Kia’s required testing, and I was advised that engine replacement was being submitted for…”
filed Sep 11, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine…Campaign 21V259000 · Apr 13, 2021
Engine problems in other Soul years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Soul | 4 | 14% |
| 2023 Soul | 13 | 26% |
| 2022 Soul | 51 | 58% |
| 2021 Soul | 132 | 57% |
| 2019 Soul | 87 | 64% |
| 2018 Soul | 140 | 64% |
| 2017 Soul | 190 | 70% |
| 2016 Soul | 556 | 69% |
| 2015 Soul | 628 | 70% |
| 2014 Soul | 552 | 61% |
| 2013 Soul | 283 | 43% |
| 2012 Soul | 209 | 41% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2020 Kia Soul
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.