2021 Kia Soul service brakes problems
10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the service brakes on the 2021 Kia Soul — 5% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I am filing this complaint to report a serious safety failure involving the service braking system and the failure of Forward Collision‑Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on my 2021 Kia Soul. During an imminent collision event, the vehicle failed to brake as expected, and…”
filed Mar 16, 2026
“Description of Incident: On February 13, 2026, at approximately 3:00 PM, I was driving my 2021 Kia Soul (VIN: [XXX] ) on Calvine Road in Elk Grove, CA. A vehicle suddenly merged into my path. I immediately attempted to apply the brakes, but the pedal failed to depress or engage normally. Despite…”
filed Feb 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Service Brakes problems in other Soul years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Soul | 2 | 7% |
| 2023 Soul | 7 | 15% |
| 2022 Soul | 3 | 3% |
| 2020 Soul | 10 | 3% |
| 2019 Soul | 5 | 4% |
| 2018 Soul | 6 | 3% |
| 2017 Soul | 12 | 4% |
| 2016 Soul | 17 | 2% |
| 2015 Soul | 28 | 3% |
| 2014 Soul | 30 | 3% |
| 2013 Soul | 30 | 5% |
| 2012 Soul | 12 | 2% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 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.