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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2020 Kia Soul is associated with 371 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 158 reports (43% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning all-electric, 2l 4-cyl, and 1.6l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 27 to 31 MPG combined. All-electric variants deliver up to 114 MPGe with an estimated range of 243 miles.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 371 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 official campaign
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Engine (158 / 43%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 9 crash / 6 fire / 5 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 4 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 27–31 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 2020 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) 127 MPGe 101 MPGe 114 MPGe 243 mi $650 / yr
Soul Eco dynamics 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 29 MPG 35 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Soul 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 27 MPG 33 MPG 30 MPG — $2,050 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM-S7) 27 MPG 32 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Soul 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 25 MPG 31 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / 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 2020 Kia Soul provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 243 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2020 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%
Electric SUV FWD —
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2020 Kia Soul models.
View complete 2020 Kia Soul crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2020 Kia Soul?

Summary of 371 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
371
Crash Reports
9
Fire Reports
6
Complaints w/ Injury
5
Total Injuries
6

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 158 complaints (1 crash)
Powertrain 49 complaints (1 crash)
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 18 complaints
Steering 10 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 6 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 2020 Kia Soul problems & component breakdown (62 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2020 Kia Soul?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #21V259000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE

Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
View all 2020 Kia Soul recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2020 Kia Soul

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2020 Kia Soul

How many safety recalls does the 2020 Kia Soul have?

The 2020 Kia Soul is associated with 1 official NHTSA safety recall campaign 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 1 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2020 Kia Soul?

NHTSA records list 371 consumer defect complaints for the 2020 Kia Soul. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Engine, appearing in 158 filings (43% 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 2020 Kia Soul defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2020 Kia Soul?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2020 Kia Soul earned an Overall Safety Rating of 4 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 2020 Kia Soul get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2020 Kia Soul range from 27 to 31 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.