2010 Kia Soul Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2010 Kia Soul has a complaint index of 33, ranking 11th worst among 16 model years, and carries a Good verdict relative to other Soul years. It logged 135 complaints, 3 recalls, and 15 fires, with the Electrical System as the top problem area.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 33/100
- #11 of 16 Soul years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 135
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 23
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 15
- Injuries
- 19
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 27
- 25 city / 30.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 19 / 0
Top 2010 Kia Soul problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System28 (21%)
- Structure & Body23 (17%)
- Engine22 (16%)
- Airbags21 (16%)
- Brakes20 (15%)
- Visibility & Wipers14 (10%)
- Other13 (10%)
- Steering12 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires12 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain11 (8%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Door-panel speaker light wiring has caught fire or melted plastic inside the door, sometimes within days of purchase and under 1,000 miles.
- Owners describe electrical fires starting near LED interior lighting or window motor wiring, with smoke coming from the door panel.
- Airbags have failed to deploy in crashes, including a deer strike and a rear-end collision where the wiring harness was reportedly cut.
- Rear brakes were reported to not engage properly, leading to a low-speed rear-end collision.
- Steering has been described as suddenly veering off the road during rainy conditions, resulting in a crash.
- One engine-area fire occurred after a low-speed collision, starting between the engine and firewall.
2010 Kia Soul recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V822000Dec 29, 2014Structure & Body95,314 vehicles
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.
Risk: A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install industrial adhesive strips to secure the headliner plates, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC112.
- NHTSA 13V114000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System980,377 vehicles
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.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
- NHTSA 10V388000Aug 31, 2010Electrical System35,185 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
Kia is recalling certain model year 2010 soul and model year 2011 sorento vehicles manufactured from september 7, 2009 through july 30, 2010. A limited number of wiring harnesses supplied by jci and used for the lighting in the kia soul vehicle's advanced lighting speakers, located in the front door trim panels, and the kia sorento vehicle's interior accent illumination, located in the front and rear door trim panels, may have been improperly soldered.
Risk: When the lights are illuminated under certain conditions, an electrical short may occur that can result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harnesses for the lights in the kia soul vehicle's advanced lighting speakers, and the wiring harness for the kia sorento vehicle's interior accent illumination. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 13, 2010. Owners may contact kia consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
2010 Kia Soul fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 25 MPG
- Highway
- 30.5 MPG
- Combined
- 27 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Kia Soul reliable?
- Compared with other Soul model years, the 2010 Soul rates Good, ranking 11th worst out of 16 years with a complaint index of 33.
- What are the most common problems with the 2010 Kia Soul?
- NHTSA complaints point to the Electrical System as the top problem area (28 complaints, 21% share), followed by Structure & Body, Engine, and Airbags.
- Does the 2010 Kia Soul have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2010 Kia Soul, covering a sunroof headliner plate issue and two electrical wiring harness problems, none marked do-not-drive.
- Did the 2010 Kia Soul have engine fires?
- NHTSA complaint data shows 15 fires reported for the 2010 Soul, including electrical fires tied to interior LED lighting and door wiring, plus one engine-area fire after a crash.
- How does the 2010 Kia Soul compare to later years like 2014 or 2015?
- The 2010 Soul's complaint index of 33 is far lower than 2014 (93) and 2015 (100), which both carry an Avoid verdict.