Model year report

2011 Kia Soul: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2011 Kia Soul

On the 2011 Kia Soul, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, and the reports cluster around 95,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other visibility problem, reported by a median of 20,000 miles. Overall it scores 74 out of 100, high risk for a 2011.

High risk for a 2011 — 69th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. 270 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

The failures owners actually file about

Owners have reported 42 named failure modes on the 2011 Kia Soul, and the three most-reported carry 29% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Other brake problem leads with 33 reports, about 1.0 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 21k to 125,000 miles.

Other electrical problem follows with 26 reports, usually reported between 15k to 90,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.

Other engine problem follows with 20 reports, usually reported between 24k to 140,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.

By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (40), engine (36) and electrical (33).

The mileage the reports cluster at

183 of the reports on the 2011 Kia Soul came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 50,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 48% by 50,000 miles, 73% by 100,000 miles and 87% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 6 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 17% of the dated reports.

38% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.

In the order they tend to show up: other visibility problem around 20k, other driver assistance problem around 21k, other electrical problem around 30k and other wheel or tire problem around 30k.

Median

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 42. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 50k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 6 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 31 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 24 an injury and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.41, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and other visibility problem at $150–$1,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

20% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other brake problem	brakes	33	10	21k	97k	126k	1.0	$300–$1,800	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	26	15	15k	30k	89k	0.8	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other engine problem	engine	20	9	24k	121k	140k	0.6	$300–$4,000	High
Other visibility problem	glass	15	14	4k	20k	39k	0.5	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	10	8	13k	30k	50k	0.3	$200–$1,500	High
Other body or interior problem	body	10	7	—	38k	—	0.3	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	9	7	—	43k	—	0.3	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Other powertrain problem	transmission	9	7	—	36k	—	0.3	$400–$4,500	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	8	6	—	25k	—	0.2	$200–$900	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	8	6	—	118k	—	0.2	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	8	8	8k	21k	34k	0.2	$250–$1,800	High
Other suspension problem	suspension	7	6	—	52k	—	0.2	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other speed control problem	adas	7	6	—	67k	—	0.2	$250–$2,000	Critical
Overheating	cooling	6	3	—	109k	—	0.2	$400–$3,500	High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	6	6	—	160k	—	0.2	$700–$3,000	High
Cruise control failure	adas	6	6	—	97k	—	0.2	$200–$1,400	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	5	0	—	—	—	0.2	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	5	4	—	118k	—	0.2	$100–$900	Moderate
Manual clutch or hydraulics failure	transmission	4	4	—	48k	—	0.1	$900–$2,800	Moderate
Other steering problem	steering	4	3	—	8k	—	0.1	$350–$2,400	High
Stalling while driving	engine	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$300–$2,500	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	3	3	—	163k	—	0.1	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	3	3	—	120k	—	0.1	$80–$600	Low
Other fuel system problem	fuel	3	1	—	12k	—	0.1	$300–$2,200	High
Engine bay fire	engine	2	0	—	—	—	0.1	$4,000–$20,000	Critical
Engine knock or bearing noise	engine	2	2	—	106k	—	0.1	$2,500–$9,000	High
Loss of braking	brakes	2	2	—	36k	—	0.1	$400–$3,000	Critical
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	2	2	—	86k	—	0.1	$300–$1,600	High
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	2	2	—	62k	—	0.1	$400–$2,200	High
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	2	2	—	45k	—	0.1	$700–$4,500	High
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	1	1	—	111k	—	0.0	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure	engine	1	1	—	177k	—	0.0	$1,200–$4,500	Critical
Excessive oil consumption	engine	1	1	—	69k	—	0.0	$900–$6,500	High
Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure	engine	1	1	—	8k	—	0.0	$1,800–$7,000	High
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	1	1	—	44k	—	0.0	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	1	1	—	107k	—	0.0	$450–$1,600	High
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	1	1	—	4k	—	0.0	$150–$900	Low
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	1	1	—	101k	—	0.0	$500–$2,400	High
Premature brake pad or rotor wear	brakes	1	1	—	40k	—	0.0	$300–$1,400	Moderate
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	1	1	—	13k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	Critical
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	1	1	—	47k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Catalytic converter failure	emissions	1	1	—	114k	—	0.0	$900–$3,500	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	28	19	35k	60k	94k	0.8	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2011 Kia Soul draws about 8.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 91st percentile of complaint rates among 2011 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 33,272 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2011 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Recalls on the 2011 model year

NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2011 Kia Soul, affecting an estimated 89,779 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electron, structure:body:roof and pillars and exterior lighting:brake lights:switch. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

23V652000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

1,730,192 vehicles 2023-09-25

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.

14V822000

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

95,314 vehicles 2014-12-29

Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kia Soul vehicles manufactured January 8, 2009, to October 2, 2013, equipped with a sun roof. A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.
Consequence: A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install industrial adhesive strips to secure the headliner plates, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC112.

13V114000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

980,377 vehicles 2013-04-01

Defect: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to…
Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2011 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2011 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Where 2011 sits in the model line

High risk for a 2011 — 69th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.

Across the 16 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2025 comes out best at 59 and 2020 worst at 82, with 2011 itself at 74.

If the model year is negotiable, 2025 and 2024 score lower than 2011 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2010–2016 generation specifically, 2016 is the strongest year at 71 and 2010 the weakest at 76.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2010-2016 generation, 2016 Kia Soul scores best at 71 and 2010 Kia Soul worst at 76.

Where to spend the inspection money

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other visibility problem from about 4k, other driver assistance problem from about 8k, other wheel or tire problem from about 13k and other electrical problem from about 15k.

On a 2011 Kia Soul with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other visibility problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

Where these figures stop being useful

270 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 270 reports, 183 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 68% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Kia Soul?

The most-reported failures are other brake problem (33 reports, median 95,000 miles), other electrical problem (26 reports, median 30,000 miles) and other engine problem (20 reports, median 120,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2011 Kia Soul problems start?

Other visibility problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 20,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 5,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 50,000 miles.

Is the 2011 Kia Soul reliable?

It scores 74 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 69th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2011 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Kia Soul is best?

Within the 2010–2016 generation, 2016 scores best at 71 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 76. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed