Which Corolla years should I avoid?

NHTSA data flags 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 as Corolla years to avoid, largely due to airbag complaints, which make up 43% of all Corolla complaints.

Which Soul years should I avoid?

NHTSA data flags 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020 as Soul years to avoid, driven mostly by engine complaints, which account for 63% of all Soul complaints.

Does the Corolla or Soul have more recalls?

The Corolla has 40 total recall campaigns across 21 model years, versus 15 for the Soul across 16 model years.

Which gets better fuel economy, Corolla or Soul?

The Corolla averages 31.4 mpg combined across its model years versus 28 mpg combined for the Soul.

Which model has more complaints overall?

The Corolla has 8,750 total complaints (417 per model year) compared to the Soul's 5,535 total complaints (346 per model year), but NHTSA does not publish sales data, so these totals are not normalized per vehicle sold.

Toyota Corolla vs Kia Soul: Which Years to Avoid

Toyota Corolla owners should avoid 2005-2007 and 2009-2011, mainly for airbag complaints. Kia Soul owners should avoid 2014-2016 and 2020, mainly for engine complaints. Corolla logs 8,750 total complaints across 21 model years (417 per year) versus Soul's 5,535 across 16 years (346 per year), but these totals are not sales-normalized.

Head to head

Toyota Corolla

Model years: 2005–2025 (21)
NHTSA complaints: 8,750
Per model year: 417
Recall campaigns: 40
Years to avoid: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Best years: 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Top problem area: Airbags
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 31.4
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 4.7 ★

Kia Soul

Model years: 2010–2025 (16)
NHTSA complaints: 5,535
Per model year: 346
Recall campaigns: 15
Years to avoid: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020
Best years: 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025
Top problem area: Engine
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 28.0
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 4.4 ★

Year by year

Complaint Index is relative within each model (0 = that model’s best year, 100 = its worst). Complaints and recalls are raw counts.

Year	Corolla				Soul
Year	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG
2005	Avoid	853	6	29	—	—	—	—
2006	Avoid	839	7	29	—	—	—	—
2007	Avoid	836	6	30	—	—	—	—
2008	Caution	314	6	30	—	—	—	—
2009	Avoid	1,459	13	27.5	—	—	—	—
2010	Avoid	1,244	17	27	Good	135	3	27
2011	Avoid	584	9	27	Caution	194	3	26.5
2012	Caution	446	5	29	Caution	514	3	26.5
2013	Good	201	5	29	Caution	662	3	26.5
2014	Caution	269	2	32	Avoid	900	5	26
2015	Good	219	1	31.5	Avoid	898	4	26
2016	Caution	214	1	31.5	Avoid	812	2	26
2017	Good	178	3	31	Caution	272	1	27
2018	Best	134	3	31	Good	218	1	27
2019	Good	202	5	32.5	Best	136	1	28
2020	Caution	306	3	33	Avoid	381	1	30
2021	Good	185	1	33	Caution	233	2	29.5
2022	Best	100	0	33	Best	88	1	30
2023	Best	73	3	39.5	Caution	51	4	30.5
2024	Best	63	2	39.5	Best	29	0	30.5
2025	Best	31	0	35	Best	12	0	30.5

Complaint Index by year

Toyota Corolla

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Kia Soul

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Frequently asked questions

Which Corolla years should I avoid?: NHTSA data flags 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 as Corolla years to avoid, largely due to airbag complaints, which make up 43% of all Corolla complaints.
Which Soul years should I avoid?: NHTSA data flags 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020 as Soul years to avoid, driven mostly by engine complaints, which account for 63% of all Soul complaints.
Does the Corolla or Soul have more recalls?: The Corolla has 40 total recall campaigns across 21 model years, versus 15 for the Soul across 16 model years.
Which gets better fuel economy, Corolla or Soul?: The Corolla averages 31.4 mpg combined across its model years versus 28 mpg combined for the Soul.
Which model has more complaints overall?: The Corolla has 8,750 total complaints (417 per model year) compared to the Soul's 5,535 total complaints (346 per model year), but NHTSA does not publish sales data, so these totals are not normalized per vehicle sold.