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#BS-2023-KIASOU-7C4D

2023 Kia Soul

Based on reports from 76 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
76
Crashes
9
Fires
3
Recalls
4
TSBs
47
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 76 complaints, 9 crashes, 3 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

horn quit working

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

rodents chewed wiring

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

sluggish at times not wanting to go

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

10 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 17K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (10 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

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

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Other12 (16%)
Engine10 (13%)
Electrical10 (13%)
Brakes7 (9%)
Steering6 (8%)
Airbags5 (7%)
Drivetrain4 (5%)
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking3 (4%)

2023 Kia Soul: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2023 Kia Soul, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 17,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 17K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2023 Kia Soul, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2023 Kia Soul, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2023 Kia Soul, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-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

7
22
28
23
23
24
17
25
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2023 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

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Recall History (4 recalls)

23V298000May 2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

23V531000Park OutsideSep 2023

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.

23V830000Jan 2024

AIR BAGS

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.

25V099000Apr 2025

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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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.

2023 Kia Soul vs. Class Average (Small Station Wagons)

This vehicle

76

Class avg

154

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical small station wagons vehicles. A good sign.

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. 76 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Kia Soul Model Years

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010
View all Kia Soul years →

2023 Kia Soul: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2023 Kia Soul?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2023 Kia Soul is related to the engine, with 10 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2023 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2023 Kia Soul has 76 complaints, 9 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2023 Kia Soul problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2023 Kia Soul have any recalls?
Yes, the 2023 Kia Soul has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Kia Soul problems start?
Based on 10 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 17,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 76 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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