USED Kia Soul? Check For These Issues Before Buying (SHOP SMART!)

Buying a Used Kia Soul? Check Out This Video for Some Useful Tips and Information.

The second-generation Kia Soul earned numerous awards for safety and owner satisfaction. For instance, a 5-STAR safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) placed it firmly among the safest vehicles on the road.

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) called this generation of Kia Soul Canada’s “Best New Family Car).

Numerous industry authorities chimed in with awards celebrating the Soul’s popularity, and position as a best buy in its segment. Soul was even called U.S. News and World Report’s Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year, and one of the ‘Coolest Cars’ for the money by KBB.com.

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[handsome]

I just purchased a 2019 red Kia Soul. 39, 000 miles. I just love the room inside. I like all the bells and whistles My son is 7 and he loves it. I had a 2011 Nissan Maxima. And I can say I like the Kia better. Wish me luck yall.

[seanschmidt]

I bought a used 2011 Kia Soul in 2014 that had 34, 000 on it. I still own it today (gave it to my mother in law 1 year ago) it now has 112, 000 miles on it. I have only replaced the brakes, rotors ( 1 time ) the battery twice, drivers side headlight lamp probably about 4 times and tires. Absolutely amazing for a 4 banger. Bought my wife a 2019. The white with the red roof.

[brianbartow]

I have a 2015 Kia Soul 2.0 liter. I bought the car new, it now has 95, 000 miles. 7 years of trouble free reliability.
Thank you for the video.

[barackmycat]

I bought mine new in 2016. 72k miles I got the plain Jane model.. No problems yet. I love it.

[ginojurman]

My 2013 soul + 150, 000 miles 2.0 engine
Just regular maintenance done on car
The only brake down with the car was a flat tire love it

[juleify]

Im going to test drive a 2016 soul tomorrow. It will be my first car and Im already in love can’t wait till I finally drive it lol

[shep]

My sister bought a 2013 which she is still driving with no problems .
We started with a Kia Optima 2001. Drove it until 2016 . Didn't see an Optima we liked, but for less money, we did buy a new Kia Soul after liking my sister's .
I am retiring and we were offered a good trade in on a new 2023 if we were willing to wait . So we ordered what we wanted and waited two months . It was worth the wait .
My wife got the color she wanted and, well happy wife happy life .LOL !
Seriously, I love the new looks inside and out . The dash doesn't look like someone stuck an I pad into the dash .
We did contemplate other brands, but I was unwilling to pay 5-10, 000 more for less car, less warranty and less trade in .
We are extremely happy with the surf blue with the black top in the GT package .
Twenty two years a happy Kia owner . Oh and the 2001 Optima ? My Granddaughter is still driving it with just over 300, 000 miles on it !

[rach]

I had a 2014 Soul, until a week ago when some jerk rear ended me. I'm now looking at a newer soul. I loved it, smooth ride, comfortable to travel in. We had a lot of fun in that car. It will be missed.

[theadvocate]

This is the info the public needs! I just love this kind of video, it gives us a feeling about brand reliability, info that people needs, thanks man!

[tobiascalvert]

I had a 2013 Soul Plus. With exceptions road noise and a rough ride on course road surfaces, I highly recommend this car. I only just traded it in last fall. So, for about 7 years it was my daily driver. Easy to drive and park and super practical. I don't know about the newest model years, but mine had a trap food sort of storage compartment below the rear deck.
One downer. No spare tire. Only that stupid kit. If you get a flat, you better be having good cell reception!

[hersheylipz]

I'm glad I came across this VIDEO! Im thinking on buying a 2015 or 2016 Kia Soul just making sure I get MORE knowledge and information before buying. Thank u Justin, very informative video😁

[Dakiraun]

I can offer up some advice and further commentary as a 2015 Kia Soul owner in Ontario, Canada - and I'll divide it up into some sections for folks:

*Model/Trim*
The 2nd Generation Soul was offered in various trims from 2014 to 2019. In terms of years, 2015 and up is the best to consider for the sake of added safety. While the 2014 models look the same, the Soul did not perform as well as Kia was hoping in small frontal overlap tests, so they went back to the drawing board (rare to do in a new generation's first year) and added almost 30% more rigidity to the cabin super-structure for the 2015 model. This makes the 2015 and up Souls considerably more safe for driver and passengers. In terms of "trims", The Soul had the three main offerings in Canada of LX, EX and SX, with sub-trims available in each one. Like _any_ car offering, there is a point at which this trim level offers less tangible mechanical/physical benefits, and just starts throwing in fluff - IE, luxury things that really aren't all that important. Remember that the more gadgets and features you have, the more you introduce the potential for issues - leaking sunroofs, as Justin points out, being a great example. In my opinion, the sweet spot was the EX+ trim. This trim offered the stronger 2.0L Nu engine, projection headlights, LED tail lights, backup-camera (which was later introduced into lower trims in 2018), a decent stereo, heated seats and a little bit nicer looking interior without going to leather. It avoids the sunroof and other gadetry.

*Wheels and Ride*
The wheel size of the 2nd Gen Souls depended on your trim level. The smallest wheel size was 16" with the SX version being 18" There were even some special editions that went to 19". One very important thing people tend to forget is that the tire is _part_ of the suspension system. The more tire you have between you and the road, the more it can soak up bumps. That's why the land-yachts of the 1970s road so nice. Now, today, cars have brakes that actually _work_, which means they are larger, so you can't fit tires as big and bubbly as they did in the 1970s, so in the case of the Soul, you can't really go smaller than 16". For whatever reason, people have been made to think that bigger wheel sizes=luxury today, which really all it means is more money for the manufacturer, and a rougher ride for _you_. Soul's with the 18" wheels ride pretty darn rough because there just isn't much wheel to take the bumps. The EX+ that I have came with 17" rims, though I use 16" for my winter tires, and that gives a much nicer ride. I plan on selling the 17" rims and replacing them with good 16" wheels/tires once the originals are worn. Remember that wheels are replaceable - and you get whatever you like! Just make _sure_ that you use a tire-size-calculator to keep the overall diameter of the tire the same if you change the wheel size.

*Engine Considerations*
The 2nd Gen Soul had three engines available in Canada - the 1.6L, the 2.0L and 1.6L Turbo - all were GDI (Gas Direct Injection). While the added power of the turbo may be tempting, turbo'd engines never hold up as well over time and use as a naturally aspirated one. GDI engines already operate under higher extrames than their older MFI siblings, and adding a turbo to them increases that strain. A lot of the oil-consumption complaints come from the turbo versions as such, though the added demands of GDI mean that they are harder on the oil regardless. The Kia manual suggests changing the oil every 12, 000km, however as a bit of a fanatic about keeping my engine's healthy, I change _my_ oil ever 5000km, and only use pure synthetic. I have done this since my Soul was new, and I have never personally had any oil consumption issues in 61, 000+ km of use thus far. Think of it this way: Oil is cheap, engines are _not_. Now back to engine sizes... the 1.6L in the base LX models, in my opinion, is too small an engine for the Soul. This little engine has to work pretty hard to lug the Soul around, especially at highway speeds. Under heavier strain, I would avoid those models as a used purchase. And again, the turbo has power, but with the additional harsh conditions the engine is under, it's a risky buy. In _any_ case, you'll want to know the maintenance history of the vehicle, in which you'l want to look for regular oil changes, and preferably with quality oil.


*Brakes and Rotors*
I was rather surprised that I had to replace my rotors around the 40K mark. 3/4 of the mileage on my Soul were highway, and while the rotors were still quite thick, they were warping and gouging pretty bad. The brake pads were also surprisingly worn down. I don't think Kia puts very high quality stuff in for braking, so if considering a Soul that is using the stock Kia rotors and pads, replacement is likely a consideration. As with any car, if the rotors are good, braking should be very smooth (IE, no shudder, vibration or pulling to any one side). If not smooth, stock hardware, or just general wear is likely the issue.

*What's it like to Drive?"*
I find the Soul to be a very comfortable drive! The seats are supportive and even if in them for many hours, I don't get sore or have any problems. The vehicle rides well on 17" rims and tires, though the ride is a bit more comfortable on 16" rims and tires with the added rubber. It handles well, has very little body roll, but is _not_ like a high-riding SUV or truck, so you can't soak up big bumps with the limited suspension travel. Think "car", because that's what it's closer to. In the Winter, with proper winter tires, the Soul handles very well. I have been through some pretty horrible conditions and have yet to have gotten it stuck. It has a bit more ground clearance than most modern cars, so I think that lends to why it does so well in the snow. It also has good roof-rack ability. I have sea kayaks that I put on the roof when I go paddling, and while highly amusing to see a nearly 18 foot long boat dwarfing the Soul in length, it can handle transporting it without issues across Ontario's country roads. It also has a really surprising amount of room inside. When you drop the back seats down, you can really fit an amazing amount of cargo into the thing. I had a small truck before I had the Soul, and I thought having less carrying room would really hurt, yet, the Soul

*Annoyances and Issues*
Most of these are small things, but worth noting. The automatic transmission, a 6-speed, is overall very good unless coming to hills in the country. For whatever reason, it tends to want to downshift from 6th to 4th for any minor hill when you're on most 80km/h country roads. It does this, of course, when you're already going up the hill which is a bit of a jerk and sudden surge in engine noise. I dislike it so much, when I see a hill coming, I tend to put it into manual mode and downshift into 5th at the base of the hill, then put it back into auto (so the lock-up torque convertor does its thing) once past it. Another annoyance is that the accelerator pedal is connected to the floor. Why is this a problem? Well, even if you put in excellent weather mats (such as WeatherTech), water and slush that run down the pedal will always hit the bottom and soak into the floor mat because you can't have a mat _under_ it. Unless the person is a fanatic about water (like me) and makes sure their foot is dry before using it, you should really check for potential water damage around the accelerator pedal. The Soul also has door seals that are both on the door, and on the door _frame_. The ones on the base of the door frame tend to tear where people get in because they are clipped all the time by people sliding their feet in - check for that when buying.

*Recall work and Inspection*
The 2nd Gen Soul has been subject to (I believe) four recalls thus far. Not all necessarily apply to any one model (as Justine mentions). Make SURE one that you are looking at has had this recall work done. Plugging in its VIN number into Kia's Canadian site will tell you what has been done, and what is (if any) outstanding for it. Perhaps the _MOST_ important thing is to have a mechanic or car-buying professional do an inspection on the vehicle _before_ you buy it. They will be able to check not only the health of the powertrain, but plenty of other structural and electronic details to know whether the purchase is a good one, or a problem waiting to happen. Yes, many charge a fee for this service, but $100 to be sure is a lot less than thousands in unwanted repairs later.

Alright, that's it! Hope that helps anyone considering getting one. :)

[DrWho]

My sis got kia soul petrol when it was first released in the market in 2008. She still has it and her son now drives long distance regularly. It's nearly 200, 000 mileage but still going strong. She never had any major breakdown, just regular maintenance. I want to have kia soul ev.

[scku]

Ours is great at 83k but a number of issues I will share:

1) Just had the steering knuckle recall done- ours came totally loose. Also had the Headlight switch recall done as it was flickering.
2) Oil consumption started heavy around 75k. Many Direct Injection engines have this problem- keep it topped off! We had carbon buildup removed from the intake valves and the problem appears to have ceased entirely for now. The ECU flash “improvement campaign” is a MUST- it extends the power train warranty, and in case you run low on oil, it triggers limp home mode early.
3) we just replaced the factory alternator at 82k- auto parts stores wanted $450! Expensive on these cars. Got a new one on Rockauto for $250 and replaced it in 20 mins in our driveway.

[ptg]

Just bought a 2019 + for my wife.
She had to have one and in Alien Green.
She loves the car. I like the warranty.

[theamericanhiker]

Buying a 2013 soul off my friend for 700 bucks. Has 150k has mostly highway mileage. Has all service records. It just has a broken spring in the rear. I think it’s a good buy.

[neilbruce]

I bought a 2017 last year with all the bells and whistles.It was the ex.It had 14.100 miles on it.all by one owner.After 1 year of driving it I have 18856 miles on it.I got the car plus the top of the line extended warranty with tax and all for $15, 500. I just had the one year inspection and a new sticker.I have had the oil and filter changed once.The only thing I have replaced is the two batteries in the key fobs.It has push button start and navigation, etc.No issues at all and it goes well in the snow.I love it.The only thing I really miss is heated side mirrors.It was by far the best small car I drove and has tons of room inside.It a great small car and a 9 hours drive, you will get out and not be a bit tired.It rides great and has plenty of power in the 2.0 automatic.I like the regular and sport mode which both get better gas mileage in the city then the economy mode.Cruise control is spot on.It is easy to get in and out of.You will see a lot of 50 and over crowd in them because it it the perfect height for drive throughs.atms and banking.Love the headlights and fog lights.Visibility all around is above average.It is not a sports car by any means.But it is fun to drive.Mine looks just like this in one and RED too.

[jayrosado]

I have a 2019, I drove from Orlando FL to Los Angeles CA with 0 issues. I spent less than 200.00 on gas too. I'm in CA now and I'm still putting 4 hour drive every other day.

[kammila]

I'm getting my 2015 kia soul tomorrow! 😁😁🤘 thanks for the info justin! Helped me so much in what I should look for

[darlajclemons]

I have had several issues with my 2015 Kia Soul Exclaim. It has all the bells and whistles. The center dash speaker housing kept popping up, but they fixed it. The windshield whistled annoyingly when driving on the highway, but only at 75 degrees or higher. Took a while for them to find the issue, but they did and they fixed it permanently. Then, at about 36, 000 the engine blew a rod. There is an issue with burrs that only affect a very small percentage of 2014-2015 units. Kia gave me a loaner for the 3 months it took them to get a new engine in. The Credenza, their top of the line car! Since then, I have had no issues. Best thing about owning a Kia is the way they take care of their customers.