Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Kia Soul owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact immediately shifted into neutral (N). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then shifted into drive (D) and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer diagnosed that no issues were found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The vehicle was slow to respond and failed to move. After the vehicle responded, the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the heat sensor and protector shield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 116,119.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 mph. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
On or about 10/11/22 while driving I completely lost control of the vehicle suddenly. I was unable to break or use my steering wheel. The vehicle rolled over twice and the front airbags failed to deploy.
COMPONENT FAILURE: The engine, power train, and speed control systems failed due to the known Nu 2.0L GDI connecting rod bearing defect. SAFETY RISK: My [redacted] daughter was driving in heavy rush-hour traffic when the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and entered a 20 MPH "limp mode." This sudden deceleration created an immediate and severe risk of a rear-end collision, endangering my daughter and surrounding motorists. DEALER CONFIRMATION: The failure was officially confirmed by Flow Kia of Charlottesville (RO #[redacted]). On Dec 3, 2025, the dealer confirmed active DTC P1326 (KSDS) and documented failed cylinder compression (as low as 150 PSI; min spec is 178 PSI). …
Car has issues when starting up. When turning on, occasionally it will take time to completely turn on, its as if it's not receiving enough power from battery, but then it will turn on with the traction control and engine light being on. I would have to turn it off and turn it back off for those light to turn off. I've also driven the car and it will turn off, but the light is still on, the engine just turned off. This will also happen when I'm idle and waiting to run the car. When driving, I feel something being moved and the traction light & engine light will turn on. Especially when I try to get more speed on the car. I've taken the car numerous times for this issue but each time they've told me nothing was wrong with it. I've replaced battery since this was what we thought the issue was initially. On the 3rd time I've taken the car to get fixed, i was told that the ECM is the issue. …
The engine is the system that is malfunctioned and yes it is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle accelerates at a slower pace than actual acceleration pressure put on pedal and then it lurches/jerks forward at a fast pace and then slows down and repeats that process over and over. Yes the problem has been confirmed. It has been inspected by the dealership. Yes the warning lamps that often illuminate are the check engine light and the oil light. They first appeared to my knowledge on 01/2020. I have been told numerous times by the Kia dealership where I get the vehicle serviced as well as Kia America Inc. Corporate Headquarters, that the engine has a malfunction and needs to be replaced. I attempted to have this problem fixed and I have missed work and spent thousands of dollars for this vehicle to work correctly.
I own a Kia Soul. The catylitic converters went out. The car won't accelerate and the car got extremely hot. When I looked up Kia Soul recalls it showed that there was a recall on the converters also that some Kia Souls had gotten hot an caught on fire. I called Parkway Family Kia. They told me that it wasn't an active recall and that they couldn't do anything. I then called Demontrond Kia and got the same answer. I talked with the service manager Brian. What can I do to resolve this?
Summary of Safety Defect: While my 16 year old daughter was driving our 2014 Kia Soul in December 2025, the car suddenly lost power in traffic and would not go over 20 mph; the check engine light came on and the vehicle entered limp mode. The sudden drop in power created a high anxiety, hazardous situation for my daughter, who had only had her license for a week, during rush hour traffic. The vehicle was unsafe to operate and had to be towed. Details of the Incident: Diagnostic trouble code P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) was confirmed by the Kia dealership. P1326 is part of Kia's known engine defect population and is tied to safety related engine failures. The dealership documented oil consumption, oil fouled spark plugs, and compression readings below Kia's minimum specification on all cylinders. The dealership concluded in writing that engine replacement is required. …
The cruise control was on my car started to excelerate and rev to high RPM without the engine shifting gears.. Then my service engine light and oil light came on the car making this horrible noise, I pulled over and the engine was barreling black smoke. I have been on the phone with Kia reporting this, but they wanted $800 to tow it to the closest dealership, and it's kias recall fault that this happened. So my car which was still on the side of the road last week, is probably picked up and impounded by now....Kia should take ownership, tow my car and fix it, or I will be more than happy to let my car go buy, file bankruptcy and never buy another Kia. I have never been notified of but only one recall which I had my car serviced at that time in 2019 for that. This is total unresponsive responsibility by Kia
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
Acceleration complaints in other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2014 Kia Soul?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2014 Kia Soul, 3% of the model year's 902 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Kia Soul acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-123 (accelerator pedal, Mar 2, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Kia Soul acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.