2010 Kia Soul Electrical System Problems
NHTSA received 28 Electrical System complaints for the 2010 Kia Soul, 21% of all complaints filed for that model year, including 10 fires. Two recalls (13V114000 and 10V388000) cover wiring harness and lighting defects tied to these reports; median mileage at failure was 61,500.
- Electrical System complaints
- 28
- 21% of 135 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 135
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 10
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 61,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Door panel speaker/LED light wiring harnesses overheat, melt, and in some cases ignite, often within the first few hundred miles of ownership.
- Smoke or fire emerges from the passenger or driver door panel near the window motor or speaker light assembly, sometimes requiring towing.
- Vehicles parked and turned off have caught fire hours later, with owners citing the same door-area wiring harness as the source.
- Radio wiring shorts and produces smoke while driving at moderate speed.
- Battery fails repeatedly shortly after replacement, with dealers only recharging rather than replacing it.
- Owners report the same failure pattern recurring even after recall repairs were supposedly completed.
When 2010 Kia Soul electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Sep 18, 2009, latest Dec 16, 2024.
Electrical System recalls for the 2010 Kia Soul
- 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.
Electrical System complaints by Soul model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical complaints does NHTSA have for the 2010 Kia Soul?
- NHTSA lists 28 Electrical System complaints for the 2010 Kia Soul, which is 21% of the 135 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2010 Kia Soul's electrical system?
- Yes. Recall 10V388000 covers wiring harnesses for the advanced lighting speakers, and recall 13V114000 also addresses the Electrical System on the 2010-2011 Soul among other Kia models.
- Did the 2010 Kia Soul electrical problems cause fires?
- Yes. NHTSA data shows 10 fires and 1 injury linked to Electrical System complaints on the 2010 Kia Soul, with median mileage at failure of 61,500.
- What part of the electrical system fails most on the 2010 Kia Soul?
- Sample complaints point to door panel wiring harnesses tied to the advanced lighting and speaker system, along with some battery and radio wiring shorts.