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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2015 Kia Soul is associated with 902 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 445 reports (49% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning all-electric, 1.6l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 26 MPG combined. All-electric variants deliver up to 105 MPGe with an estimated range of 93 miles.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 902 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 4 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Engine (445 / 49%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 36 crash / 82 fire / 23 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 5 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 26–26 MPG across 5 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2015 Kia Soul?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Soul Electric 100% Electric Electric Motor Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (A1) 120 MPGe 92 MPGe 105 MPGe 93 mi $700 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 24 MPG 30 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 24 MPG 30 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Soul ECO dynamics 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 24 MPG 30 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Soul 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 23 MPG 30 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2015 Kia Soul provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 93 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2015 Kia Soul?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 14.7%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2015 Kia Soul models.
View complete 2015 Kia Soul crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2015 Kia Soul?

Summary of 902 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
902
Crash Reports
36
Fire Reports
82
Complaints w/ Injury
23
Total Injuries
32

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 445 complaints (1 crash)
Engine & Cooling 28 complaints
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 27 complaints
Electrical System 25 complaints
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 25 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2015 Kia Soul problems & component breakdown (99 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2015 Kia Soul?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #20V750000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE

Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
NHTSA Campaign #19V120000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE

Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
NHTSA Campaign #17V608000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STEERING

Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
View all 2015 Kia Soul recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2015 Kia Soul

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2015 Kia Soul

How many safety recalls does the 2015 Kia Soul have?

The 2015 Kia Soul is associated with 4 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 4 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2015 Kia Soul?

NHTSA records list 902 consumer defect complaints for the 2015 Kia Soul. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Engine, appearing in 445 filings (49% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2015 Kia Soul defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2015 Kia Soul?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2015 Kia Soul earned an Overall Safety Rating of 5 out of 5 stars across 1 tested configuration(s).

Laboratory evaluations include a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, side barrier and pole impact tests, and static rollover resistance assessments.

View detailed crash test laboratory breakdown →
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2015 Kia Soul get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2015 Kia Soul range from 26 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.