Seat Belt complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, another vehicle stopped in front of the contact's vehicle and the brake pedal was depressed to attempt to avoid a crash; however, the vehicle skidded and crashed into the rear of the other vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. During the crash the front end and the hood of the vehicle was severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the contact in the seat, causing the contact's chest and stomach to impact the steering wheel. The contact sustained a bruised chest and neck injury but had not yet sought medical treatment. The contact stated that an appointment was schedule to see her Primary Care Physician. The contact was unaware of any injuries to the other driver. …
On April 05, 2022 I was struck head-on by a negligent driver who rounded a blind turn at a rate of speed of above sixty miles per hour. His vehicle drifted across the double yellow lines into my lane and hit three quarters of my front bumper. He was driving a four door sedan and I was driving a 2019 Kia Soul. My vehicle was lifted off of the ground, slid across his hood and roof, landed on its side and grinder against the passenger side of the car along the floor and the roof grinded the guard rail. My steering wheel air bag did not deploy, causing my head to go through the windshield. All of this is evidenced by my dual camera dash cam. The front panel of my car was crushed, which caused the side curtain airbags to deploy. Unfortunately, even though the main impact was the front bumper, the steering wheel airbag did not deploy. I suffered severe permanent injuries from this accident. …
My friend and I picked up a kayak that I bought and we had to put it in the car. When she was in the car I had to fasten the seat belt for her. We got it home and removed it from the vehicle, I had to unfastened the seat belt. When I took her home, the seat belt would not pull out. I still cannot pull out the seat belt. I contacted the dealership and they told me that it would have to be replaced at a cost of $700, which includes the labor. They said that it wasn't under the warranty to replace it. My understanding is that you would have to replace the seatbelt if you had been in an accident, which I have not. I am taking it in tomorrow in hopes that they can fix it and not have to replace it. Anyway, I hope no one else is having this problem.
I have had several instances where I have had the seat belt fasten light come on when traveling down the road. Initially I tried parking the car, turning off the ignition for 30-60 seconds, turning the car back on, and once I start moving again the indicator would come back on. What I finally realized, after doing some testing, is that if I place my cell phone on the front passenger seat towards the center of the car (placing it about 1/2 way from the from the front to the back of the seat), it will trip the system and cause the seat belt warning indicator to come on. After doing some trials, I have found, removing the cell phone from the seat and placing it either in the cup holders or the center console will actually shut off the indicator. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 30 MPH, after becoming briefly distracted, the vehicle ahead dramatically reduced speeds, and as a result, he collided with the rear of that vehicle. After this, the seat belt failed to restrain him, and he hit his head on the windshield, causing him to lose consciousness. The force of the impact forced the vehicle off the road and into a ditch, where it came to rest after colliding with a tree, at which point the air bags deployed. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remains. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The driver was transported to an area hospital, treated for a concussion, and held in the ER for observation. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
This vehicle is currently at Lunsford's towing, and will be moved to another location. Potentially this could be my new residence at [redacted] , but I would like to have contact/see if this has any issues first. There were two components of this accident: 1) a multi-vehicle collision, and a single vehicle collision between the Kia and a tree. I do not believe that these potential issues had much to do with the first component. However, I kept going after this accident, and had a large mark on my head. I am unsure about what my head hit, but my seatbelt may have failed to restrain me. Further, there was little braking before the first component of this, but there seemed to be little significant slowdown after the first part.
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 40 mph the vehicle crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. During the crash, the front end sustained severe damage and the vehicle was destroyed but the driver-side air bag did not deploy and the front driver-side seat belt malfunctioned and did not secure the occupant causing the driver's head to make contact with the steering wheel. The driver sustained a head injury that required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined and the local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving 10 MPH, the contact's vehicle was involved in a crash with another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt failed to securely restrain the contact. The contact sustained whiplash and muscle strains, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed by the insurance adjuster that the subframe was bent and the chassis was fractured due to the crash. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure was not diagnosed. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Soul years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2015 (10), 2011 (7), 2013 (6), 2014 (6) and 2019 (6) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 1% of all complaints for the 2015.
Is there a recall for Kia Soul seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for any Kia Soul model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Kia Soul seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › warning light/devices (1 mentions), followed by the front › buckle assembly (1).
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.