Most common 2010 Kia Soul problems
Share of the 135 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Soul complaints by model year
Best Soul years: 2010, 2011, 2025. Years to avoid: 2015, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021. Compare all years →
2010 Kia Soul recalls (3)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2010 Kia Soul:
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima, MY 2011-2014 Kia Sorento and MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with Theta II, Gamma, Nu and Lambda II engines…
Steering Shaft Separation
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of a single complaint on the subject vehicles that alleges the hand wheel became mechanically de-coupled from the road wheels when the intermediate steering shaft universal joint separated from the upper steering column.It appears that the intermediate steering shaft in the complaint vehicle was disassembled and then improperly re-assembled with the universal joint…
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition.
What 2010 Kia Soul owners say
Electrical system all 24 →
I was driving down the interstate on my way to work when my check engine light turned on and began flashing rapidly. I then began to get over to the shoulder and into safety when I heard what sounded like a loud dropping sound come from the engine and smoke started coming out of the hood. When I got pulled over to the shoulder, I ran and popped my hood and saw that the whole battery was on fire, within minutes the whole car was engulfed and I was told to get back for my safety by someone that stopped.
The airbag light is on, and the passenger airbag light is off. Kia dealership performed the electronic scan, and is obtaining message with defect in OCS sensor defect and electrical voltage. Kia said needs Kia part #95910-2K000 that Kia has discontinued. There is no way to fix the air bag issue as Kia has discontinued the part, and no dealer has the part in the United States. The vehicle is available for inspection. Dealer has confirmed the problem, but can't repair because the Kia part has been DISCONTINUED. The part that has been discontinued is the Control Module, Module Assembly Air Bag.
Body & structure all 21 →
Kia Soul 2010 purchased in March 2010. The clips to my front bumper have all broken and it was glued on so it will stay on until our mechanic put bolts to hold it better. Dealership would not fix it since they stated I was in an accident, but I was not in one. The bumper started falling off before 10,000 miles. There are no dents or dings in the front bumper area. The anti-lock brakes locked up after I had by foot on the brakes for an extended amount of time. This happened at about 11K miles. The transmission does not always shift when it should. The brake relay was fixed by the dealership. The brakes did have a small fire when I moved it not realizing it was the brakes. I assumed the transmission was going due to other issues we were having with the vehicle. The side wall of my tire (nexen) had a huge hole after they blew at about 7500 miles. …
The 2010 Soul had a major failure when it impacted a tree at 10 MPH. There were no leaking fluids, signs of smoke or fire. The vehicle caught fire roughly 15 minutes later and burned totally up before fire crews could get there to put it out. The origin of the fire was between the engine and the fire wall. I feel as though the safety bumpers that are required by law to work bellow the 15 MPH constraint are under designed.
Air bags all 21 →
The contact owned a 2010 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH when she crashed into the rear passenger side of another vehicle due to an illegal turn damaging both vehicles. The contact stated the air bags did not deploy nor did the seatbelt retract. The contact stated when the paramedics helped out the vehicle the air bag fell out of the steering wheel. The contact was taken to the hospital for back pain. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt didn't lock and at the moment it is available to be inspected. My seat belt didn't lock so it is probably why my back fractured. I don't know if the problem has ever been reproduced or confirmed. To my knowledge no one has inspected the car. There was no warning signs or lights that came on. Apparently the air bags only deploy with front or rear impact not rollovers and the seat belts don't lock either but how does a 2001 Saturn seat belts lock in a rollover but a 2010 Kia doesn't.
2010 Kia Soul engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 31 / 28 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 26 / 31 / 28 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 30 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 30 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Kia Soul a good car?
Based on 135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Soul rates better than average: 72% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Soul at the same age. It is one of the best Soul years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Kia Soul?
The electrical system — 24 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about wiring. Next are the body & structure (21) and air bags (21).
How many recalls does the 2010 Kia Soul have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2010 Kia Soul, the most recent from December 29, 2014 (roof and pillars). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Soul?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2011 and 2025. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2021. See the full Kia Soul years comparison.
At what mileage do 2010 Kia Soul problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 66% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.