2020 Kia Soul power train problems
88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2020 Kia Soul — 24% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning while releasing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle restarted after each failure. The first dealer diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P04100 (Camshaft Position…”
filed Jul 21, 2026
“While driving on the interstate at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of forward motive power. The engine revved, but the vehicle completely ceased forward acceleration and could not maintain highway speeds. This created an immediate safety hazard, forcing me to…”
filed Jun 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC199 FL301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to update the software programming on the…
SC199_OWNR_SK3_3 · Emissions · issued Feb 19, 2026
Power Train problems in other Soul years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Soul | 2 | 7% |
| 2023 Soul | 4 | 8% |
| 2022 Soul | 12 | 14% |
| 2021 Soul | 26 | 12% |
| 2019 Soul | 5 | 4% |
| 2018 Soul | 31 | 15% |
| 2017 Soul | 19 | 7% |
| 2016 Soul | 61 | 8% |
| 2015 Soul | 60 | 7% |
| 2014 Soul | 56 | 6% |
| 2013 Soul | 14 | 2% |
| 2012 Soul | 21 | 4% |
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.