Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the exterior lights. The 5 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/5 checked
2025 Kia Soul: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2025's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Kia Soul. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | FWD | 31 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Kia Soul, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Low beams throw too little light to see the road at night, according to all 4 complaints. Drivers describe missing where a road ends, nearly leaving the pavement on dark routes, and near misses with animals and road damage. High beams don't solve it in traffic because they blind other drivers. Some reports say the weak light keeps lane-assist features from reading road markings on dark, rainy roads. A separate complaint describes moisture getting inside the headlight and cutting its output. The reports show no mileage pattern.
Excerpts from complaints Soul owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
2 incidents driving in a not familiar area...Almost drove off the road in very dark conditions at a light because I couldn't see that my road had ended .I was almost side swiped trying to get back on the road the last second.Iwas not taking any meds abd Don't drink Also drive at night on well lit highways.Also the lights are so dim that my road assist features did not activate on dark rainy roads where it could not see road markings
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
Headlights when on dim are inadequate. You can not see the road. You can not drive with your lights on bright in traffic. Severe hazard to all. Near miss on animals and road damage. Very frightening.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 8 Soul years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2025 is the sixth model year of the Soul's third generation (2020 on).
It includes the 2023 update.
What changed for 2023
Cars shoppers compare with the Kia Soul, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
