17 complaints reported

2013 Kia Soul Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
17
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2025

Recall since I got the car but never been able to afford to bring it go he fixed. Single mother of 2 boys. Both autistic, one age [XXX] and one age [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2025
Jul 2025 Fire

Was driving on the highway when my car started to smoke pulled over and it was a fire under my hood from the abs module

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Oct 2024

My 2013 Kia Soul has been recalled for HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (HECU) which can RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WHILE DRIVING OR PARKED since September of 2023. I was advised to park my vehicle away from the house and wait for a solution from Kia. It has been 6 months that I have been unable to drive my vehicle. Kia states that a remedy is *still* unavailable.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2023
Aug 2024

I received the recall information in the mail. Found out that there is no remedy for it yet. Have been waiting since November 2023. I have not had any problem with the car but don't want to drive it or have it near my house if it can catch fire. I have it parked with the battery disconnected cause I don't want the fire to happen.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2023
Jun 2024

Informed of fire risk by KIA, informed of planned resolution (replacement of fuses), however to date there is no resolution available because they dont have the part. Fuses are common off the shelf items. The delay is unacceptable, especially in light of the recommendation to park the car outside when there is also an issue of theft because they failed to included even the most basic anti-theft tech.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2023
Apr 2024

I've received two things in the mail about recalls one is about the car being able to catch on fire due to some fuse that they don't even have a part for this...this is unacceptable. I mean, how long am I gonna be waiting on a part and have to worry about my car catching on fire. second I got something in the mail about Kia being sued about people being able to steal the car from the ignition just seems like Kia needs to take this car back because it seems like there's way too many issues it very unacceptable when I have kids that this car could catch on fire driving or just sitting in my yard unacceptable

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2024
Mar 2024

Car is not starting

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Dec 2023

The recall for my vehicle happened weeks ago and there is still no solution. This is a fire hazard and the only vehicle I own. I need this fixed asap

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2023
Sep 2020

VEHICLE WILL JUST RANDOMLY NOT START. GET IN CAR TURN ON KEY AND NOTHING, LIGHTS, RADIO, ECT ALL WORK, BUT CAR WILL NOT START. SO FAR IF YOU WAIT A SHORT TIME AND TRY AGAIN IT STARTS AND ALL IS FINE. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE BATTERY SO I REPLACED IT AND ALL WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS, AND THEN ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO IT DID THE SAME THING, WOULD NOT START. WENT ABOUT MY BUSINESS IN ANOTHER CAR, CAME HOME ABOUT 1 HOUR LATER, GOT INTO CAR AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND HAS BEEN FINE SINCE. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING THAT THE DEALER CAN DO. THEY REPLACE DIFFERENT PARTS, BUT IT OCCURS AGAIN. LOTS ON MONEY BEING SPENT AND NO RESULTS TO BE HAD. VERY FRUSTRATING . THIS HAS HAPPEN ABOUT 15 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT IT DOES START IF YOU WAIT AWHILE. AT LEAST MY HAS, BUT I NOTE THAT OTHERS HAVE NOT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2020
Feb 2019

CAR WONT START, INTERMITTENTLY. GOT A NEW BATTERY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WOULD START. LIGHTS COME ON THE DASH BUT CAR WOULDN'T START, QUICK JUMP AND CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. THIS KEPT HAPPENING SO I THOUGHT I HAD GOTTEN A BAD BATTERY. REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH A NEW ONE AND A WEEK LATER THE SAME THING STARTING HAPPENING. THE CAR WOULDN'T START. TOOK IT TO THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE ALTERNATOR. THEY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS AND EVERYTHING CHECKED CHECKED OUT FINE, COULD FIND A PROBLEM AND COULDN'T DUPLICATE THIS. TOOK CAR HOME AND 3 DAYS LATER THE SAME THING THE CAR WONT START. QUICK JUMP STARTS RIGHT UP AND LASTS FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS AND WONT START AGAIN. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS STARTING ISSUE ON THE KIA SOUL WITH CUSTOMERS AND NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM, THEY ALL SEEM TO BE THE SAME ISSUE AND WHEN WE TAKE IT IN THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2019
Mar 2018

BATTERY REPLACED 2/18. INSTALLED W/ ROTORS & BRAKE PADS BY DEALERSHIP AFTER THIS MY CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT WOULD NOT EVEN MAKE A NOISE. ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT ON. ALARM WORKED (INSTALLED BY DEALERSHIP). I GOT OUR OF CAR LOCKING IT & TRIED TO START MANUALLY, STILL NOTHING. 1 OF THE TIMES I TRIED IT THE RADIO WENT ON. AFTER APPR. 6X'S THE CAR STARTED BUT IDLING EXTREMELY LOW. KIA DEALERSHIP GOT THE CAR THAT DAY, THEY HAD CAR FOR 9 DAYS & COULD NOT REPLICATE ISSUE. I GOT CAR BACK 3 WKS LATER SAME ISSUE. CLOCK HAD BEEN BEHIND 20ISH MIN THAT WK. I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD. 3/18/18 (SAME WK CAR TIME WAS OFF), I TRIED STARTING MANY X'S. EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME, I NOTICEDI WHEN DASHBOARD LIGHTS ON,I DON'T HAVE. RADIO WOULD GO ON & OFF. I CALLED KIA,CAR WAS NOT STARTING, I WAS HAVING IT TOWED TO THEM. MADE VIDEO OF TRYING TO START CAR.THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY MENTIONED REPLACING IGNITION. IF YOU GOOGLE KIA SOUL STARTING ISSUES, THERE ARE PAGES OF THEM. ALL WITH SAME DESCRIPTION. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLICATE ISSUE. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG ELECTRICALLY IN SOME OF THE SOULS. IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE LIMITED TO ANY PARTICULAR YEAR. DEALERSHIPS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE, DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND RANDOMLY REPLACE THINGS. DIDN'T FIX ISSUE. PEOPLE ONLINE STATED THEY GOT SO FRUSTRATED AND TRADED IN VEHICLE. I HOPE IT DOES NOT COME TO THAT WITH ME.THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR REMEDY FOR THIS SITUATION. IF YOU GOOGLE IT YOU WILL GET SO MANY PAGES ON THIS ISSUE WITH KIA SOUL, ALL YEARS. SO THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN, COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE HARM. I HAVE A VERY CLEAR SHORT VIDEO 1MIN 30 SEC.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2018
Feb 2018

SO I AM ACTUALLY SHOCKED THAT THERE'S NO COMPLAINT LOGGED HERE ABOUT THIS, YET IT SEEMS TO BE EVERYWHERE ALL OVER THE INTERNET. OUR 2013 KIA SOUL (AND THIS HAPPENS WITH MORE THAN JUST OUR YEAR) WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE DOOR AJAR INDICATOR COMES ON, ON THE DASH PANEL, AND THE IGNITION KEY RING THAT ILLUMINATES, AND ALSO ILLUMINATES THE DOOR/MAP LIGHTS IN THE CENTER CONSOLE. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO JUST BE MAKING A RIGHT TURN FOR IT TO COME ON. IF YOU TOUCH (NOT HIT IT OR BE FORCEFUL) THE DRIVERS DOOR PANEL, YOU CAN MAKE IT COME ON, AND SOMETIMES IT GOES RIGHT OUT AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY "MAKE SURE THE DOOR IS CLOSED TIGHTLY!" WELL THE DOOR IS CLOSED. ALL 4 DOORS AND THE HATCH ARE SECURELY CLOSED, AND IT'S ONLY THE DRIVERS DOOR. IT WILL NOT DO IT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT RUNNING, IT ONLY DOES IT WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, AND THE VEHICLE RUNNING. I AM SHOCKED THIS IS NOT A RECALL. I HAVE SEEN THIS WITH OTHER SOULS DATING BACK TO 2009! I AM RELUCTANT OF TAKING THE DOOR APART, BUT I MEAN SERIOUSLY!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2018
Apr 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVEN TIMES AND EACH TIME, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Jan 2015

WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR YOU TURN THE KEY AND IT DOES NOT TURN OVER. YOU HEAR A CLICK, ALL LIGHTS ON DASH LIGHT AND RADIO PLAYS BUT THE CAR DOESN'T START. SOMETIMES YOU CAN TURN THE KEY UP TO 10 TIMES BEFORE IT STARTS. HAPPENS 2-3 TIMES A WEEK SPORADICALLY. THE CAR DOES EVENTUALLY START. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR ALSO LOCKS BY ITSELF AT TIMES WHEN YOU SHUT THE DOOR. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND FOR 17 DAYS, THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND VIDEOED IT ON JAN 5 AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO THEN KEPT CAR FOR 14 DAYS AND SAID THEY HAD OVER 150 STARTS AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR AGAIN AND AN TECH WILL BRING PORTABLE EQUIPMENT TO THE CAR AND TEST IT THEN. DEALER HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD IN TRYING TO FIND CAUSE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2014
Jan 2014

CAR HAS PROBLEMS PLAYING MP3S IN WHICH I HAVE USED AUDACITY TO SPLIT UP INTO MULTIPLE TRACKS. THERE IS FREQUENTLY CRACKING/POPPING SOUNDS FROM THE AUDIO, AND WHEN TURNING ON THE CAR (AFTER HAVING LISTENED TO SAID MP3S ON THE PREVIOUS TRIP), SOMETIMES THE RADIO DISPLAY SCREEN IS BLACK. NO BUTTONS WILL TURN IT ON. IT'S COMPLETELY DEAD. I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS ONLY HAPPENS WITH FILES THAT I'VE HAD RUN THROUGH AUDACITY AND SPLIT UP INTO SEPARATE TRACKS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2013
Nov 2013

AFTER OWNING THIS VEHICLE FOR A MONTH OR SO, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TURN ON THE VEHICLE THE RADIO SCREEN WAS HALF FADED OR GONE. THIS IS THE SCREEN THAT ALLOWS YOU TO USE THE HANDS FREE DEVICE ALSO. I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERS AND THEY STATED THAT THE RADIO WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS A BIT CONFUSED AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR BUT... STUFF HAPPENS. I REALLY ENJOY THIS CAR AND HAVE HAD NO OTHER ISSUES. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2013
Aug 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CHECK WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE WIRING CODING WAS SOY BASED AND THAT ANIMALS WERE EATING THE WIRES. AS A RESULT, THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE EMISSION WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE SAME SOY BASED CODING WIRING WAS USED TO REMEDY THE DEFECT AND HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECURRENCE IN THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2013

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Kia Soul has 17 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.