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Car · Kia problems

2012 Kia Soul problems

515 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Kia Soul. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (43% of them). NHTSA also lists 74 service bulletins and 3 recall campaigns.

515owner complaints
25say a crash was involved
23say a fire was involved
27injuries and deaths reported

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 25. Deaths: 2.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 515 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

14 smaller areas not shown (80 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 74 repair bulletins from Kia for the 2012 Kia Soul. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

  1. SC176Y_TSB_R1Received March 31, 2026

    Engine and engine cooling

    New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.

  2. SC176YReceived October 23, 2024

    Subsequent repair action: catalytic converter replacement and engine INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (SC176Y) - This bulletin provides catalytic converter and engine sub-assembly diagnosis and repair...

  3. TSB_TRA046_R4Received June 4, 2024

    Power train (transmission and drive)

    Information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model.

  4. PS739Received April 6, 2023

    Engine and engine cooling

    Pitstop: low oil pressure at idle after gamma 1.6L GDI short block engine replacement - This bulletin provides information equipped with a Gamma 1.6L GDI regarding a 'low oil pressure' concern...

  5. TSB_TRA046_R3Received December 6, 2022

    Power train (transmission and drive)

    Transmission fluid application guide - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model.

  6. PS731Received June 3, 2022

    Engine and engine cooling

    Pitstop: DTC P0011/ P0014/ P0016/ P0017 due to incorrect camshaft reluctor wheel configuration - this pitstop provides information on some 2010-2013my soul (am), 2014-2019my soul (ps), and 2020~MY...

  7. PI2002YZReceived May 1, 2021

    Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/Z) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in January 2021 (PI2002A and PI2002B...

  8. PI2002A_QA_U1Received April 6, 2021

    Engine and engine cooling

    Product improvement campaign: question and answer - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the product improvement (PI2002A).

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer.

  1. 19V120000February 23, 2019

    Engine

    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...

  2. 23V652000September 25, 2023Do not drive notice

    Service brakes, hydraulic

    The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

  3. 14V822000December 29, 2014

    Structure

    A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.

See all 3 recalls for the 2012 Kia Soul, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Soul will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

This model year has an engine recall in NHTSA's data. Before you pay for an engine repair, check the recalls and ask the dealer about warranty extensions for your VIN. Those repairs can be free.

Start with a diagnosis

Engine and engine cooling 221 complaints · 43%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Steering 166 complaints · 32%

Service brakes 46 complaints · 9%

Electrical system 38 complaints · 7%

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

0 of 17 characters

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Kia Soul: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Kia Soul?

Of the 515 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Kia Soul, 221 (43%) name engine and engine cooling, and 166 (32%) name steering. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Kia Soul reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 25 of the 515 complaints as involving a crash and 23 as involving a fire. They also reported 25 injuries and 2 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 74 repair bulletins for the 2012 Kia Soul.

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Sources

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.