2020 Kia Soul Transmission & Power Train Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/12/2026

84Power Train complaints

23.4%Of all 359 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE223 · 62.1%

POWER TRAIN84 · 23.4%

Unspecified / other47 · 13.1%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM27 · 7.5%

STEERING16 · 4.5%

Share of the 359 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2020 Kia Soul overview page.

What owners report

“WE PURCHASED A 2020 KIA SOUL IN JANUARY 2020, WITH 11 MILES ON IT. EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, UNTIL ONE DAY…”NHTSA complaint 11414903 — filed 05/03/2021

“ON MARCH 2ND. WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2020 KIA SOUL S. WE WERE DRIVING ON I95NORTH. THE RPM'S KEPT PULSING, WE TOOK THE CAR OFF…”NHTSA complaint 11413596 — filed 04/23/2021

“THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND NOW THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN THEY ARE SAYING . THE VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 11408074 — filed 04/14/2021

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Kia Soul have transmission & power train problems?

Power Train is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2020 Kia Soul: 84 of 359 complaints on file (23.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2020 Kia Soul have in total?

359 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 9 involved a crash, 6 involved a fire, 6 reported injuries, and 8 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train category include?

NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.