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#BS-2011-KIASOU-7C4D2011 Kia Soul
Based on reports from 268 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 268 complaints, 43 crashes, 7 fires, and 3 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.2x the class average.
Top reported problems
esc malfunction
2 complaints • Severity 8/10
vibration when braking
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
engine failure
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
44 owners reported brakes issues — failures commonly reported around 50K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (61 reports) • Median: 50K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Brakes (44 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2011 Kia Soul: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Soul, with 44 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 50,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 50K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Soul, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Soul, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Soul, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2011 Kia Soul. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (3 recalls)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kia Soul vehicles manufactured January 8, 2009, to October 2, 2013, equipped with a sun roof. A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Kia Soul is the 2016 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2011 Kia Soul vs. Class Average (Small Station Wagons)
This vehicle
268
Class avg
122
2.2x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical small station wagons vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 268 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Kia Soul Model Years
View all Kia Soul years →2011 Kia Soul: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Kia Soul?
Is the 2011 Kia Soul reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2011 Kia Soul problems?
Does the 2011 Kia Soul have any recalls?
What mileage do Kia Soul problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
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Get the Full 2011 Kia Soul Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 268 owner reports. Know before you buy.