2022 Kia Soul problems and complaints

Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Kia Soul. The most-reported areas: Engine (51), Engine And Engine Cooling (19), Unknown Or Other (12).

Key takeaways

  • 88 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 4 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 8 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Engine5158%
Engine And Engine Cooling1922%
Unknown Or Other1214%
Power Train1214%
Electrical System1011%
Fuel/Propulsion System78%
Vehicle Speed Control67%
Forward Collision Avoidance45%
Air Bags33%
Service Brakes33%
Steering22%
Seat Belts22%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2022 Kia Soul SUV FWD4/54/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Engine - filed 2026-07-17

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH uphill, there was an abnormal knocking sound from the rod bearings inside the engine. The contact stated that the rod bearings had gone through the engine block, and there was black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle became inop...

Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-06-25

Backup camera intermittently glitches and cuts to a black screen. Display will also occasionally appear darker than normal. Concern began suddenly with no known cause. It first occurred after vehicle was parked for 10-11 hours.

Power Train,electrical System,engine - filed 2026-06-14

• a theft attempt caused by the widely reported Kia software vulnerability (documented in my police report) • a display failure that Kia refused to repair • a recall that Kia refused to perform because the display was broken • repeated defects lighting, battery warning indicators never come on when the oil is beinf co...

Diagnose it yourself

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

More for the 2022 Kia Soul

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.