Is the Hyundai Kona more reliable than the KIA Soul?

No. The KIA Soul comes out ahead by a large gap. Kona owners file 13.4 complaints per 10,000 sold against 6.4 for the Soul, and the Kona has more recalls. Both models still stand as good, so the difference is in how often problems get reported.

Which has more recalls, the Kona or the Soul?

The Kona has more. Federal recall records show 16 recalls across 9 Kona model years and 10 across 8 Soul model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, since Soul owners also report waits for recall parts.

What is the biggest problem with the KIA Soul?

Engine oil loss. Owners report oil disappearing between changes with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, stalling, and sometimes full engine replacement. The IVT transmission has also failed early, leaving cars stopped at intersections and on highways. Watch the oil level closely and keep service receipts.

Does the Hyundai Kona have safety-related complaints?

Yes. Kona owners report automatic emergency braking activating on the highway for no visible reason, and adaptive cruise cutting speed before holding. Speed control has 5 crash-linked complaints and service brakes have 4. One report describes a car accelerating while parking and hitting a building.

Which Kona and Soul years should I avoid?

Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Kona and the 2020 and 2021 Soul, which rank weakest. The newest years of each, 2025 for the Kona and 2024 and 2025 for the Soul, rank strongest. They are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so inspect them as carefully as any other.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Kona

Good

More Reliable

Kia Soul

Good

Reliability favors the KIA Soul over the Hyundai Kona by a wide margin, mainly because Kona owners file complaints at twice the rate. The Kona also has more recalls. The Soul's main risk is engine oil loss, which can end in engine replacement.

How Do the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul Generations Compare?

Most used Konas come from the first generation, which ran from 2018 to 2023 with a facelift in 2021. Its weakest years, 2019 and 2020, both came before that facelift. The second generation began in 2024, so those cars are still young. Used Souls span two generations. The second ran through 2019 with a facelift in 2017, which makes 2018 and 2019 late-cycle cars. The third started in 2020 and ran through 2025, with a facelift in 2023. The Soul's weakest years, 2020 and 2021, were the first two years of that third generation. Its strongest years, 2024 and 2025, are the most recent.

Verdict

The Kia Soul is more reliable than the Hyundai Kona, scoring 77/100 vs 65/100.

Reliability favors the Soul by a large gap. Owners file complaints about the Kona at roughly twice the rate per car sold, and the Kona carries more recalls across its model years, 16 against 10. Both still stand as good. The Soul has a serious weak spot in engines that burn oil and sometimes need replacing. Even so, its lower complaint rate and lighter recall load put it clearly ahead.

Key Differences

1Kia Soul scores 12 points higher in reliability
2Kia Soul has 7.0 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Kia Soul has 6 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

0Hyundai Kona

—

3Kia Soul

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateSafety Rating

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Kona	Kia Soul
Reliability Score	65/100	77/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	16	10
Complaints per 10k Sold	13.4	6.4
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	8

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul?

Complaints about the Kona spread across many systems. Power cuts out while driving, horns fail again after replacement, and transmissions quit on cars with under 7,000 miles. Adaptive cruise cuts speed on hills, and automatic emergency braking has slammed on at highway speed for no visible reason. Speed control (5 crash-linked) and service brakes (4) are crash-linked areas where the Soul has no match. Soul problems concentrate in the engine: oil vanishes with no warning, then the engine rattles, stalls, or fails. The IVT transmission also loses power early, and those reports include two injuries.

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Kona	Kia Soul
ENGINE	4.5Average	2.6Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	3.3Average	0.5Very Low
POWER TRAIN	1.6Low	1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.8Low	0.7Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.2Very Low	0.5Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.3Very Low	0.3Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Kona	Kia Soul	Edge
2025	74/1000R / 21C	85/1000R / 9C	Kia Soul
2024	68/1003R / 50C	86/1000R / 23C	Kia Soul
2023	66/1002R / 68C	77/1004R / 45C	Kia Soul
2022	64/1002R / 115C	78/1001R / 78C	Kia Soul
2021	63/1001R / 102C	72/1002R / 190C	Kia Soul
2020	57/1002R / 140C	70/1001R / 338C	Kia Soul
2019	55/1004R / 224C	76/1001R / 123C	Kia Soul
2018	69/1000R / 66C	73/1001R / 199C	Kia Soul

Best years to cross-shop: The 2018 Hyundai Kona scored 69/100 and the 2024 Kia Soul scored 86/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Hyundai Kona vs the Kia Soul?

Pick the Soul if you want the lower complaint rate and fewer recalls, and you will keep up with oil checks. Oil can disappear with no warning light, so check the dipstick often and keep every maintenance receipt, since some owners were turned away without them. Skip the 2020 and 2021 model years. The 2024 and 2025 Souls rank strongest, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat that as proof. Pick the Kona if you prefer it and can accept more electrical and driver-assist quirks. Avoid 2019 and 2020. The 2018 Kona ranks among its strongest years, so a clean service history matters there. On any Kona, test adaptive cruise and listen for transmission trouble on the drive. On a Kona Electric, ask about 12V battery drain. The 2025 ranks strongest too, but it is the newest year and has had the least time to collect complaints.

Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul: Common Questions

Is the Hyundai Kona more reliable than the KIA Soul?: No. The KIA Soul comes out ahead by a large gap. Kona owners file 13.4 complaints per 10,000 sold against 6.4 for the Soul, and the Kona has more recalls. Both models still stand as good, so the difference is in how often problems get reported.
Which has more recalls, the Kona or the Soul?: The Kona has more. Federal recall records show 16 recalls across 9 Kona model years and 10 across 8 Soul model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, since Soul owners also report waits for recall parts.
What is the biggest problem with the KIA Soul?: Engine oil loss. Owners report oil disappearing between changes with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, stalling, and sometimes full engine replacement. The IVT transmission has also failed early, leaving cars stopped at intersections and on highways. Watch the oil level closely and keep service receipts.
Does the Hyundai Kona have safety-related complaints?: Yes. Kona owners report automatic emergency braking activating on the highway for no visible reason, and adaptive cruise cutting speed before holding. Speed control has 5 crash-linked complaints and service brakes have 4. One report describes a car accelerating while parking and hitting a building.
Which Kona and Soul years should I avoid?: Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Kona and the 2020 and 2021 Soul, which rank weakest. The newest years of each, 2025 for the Kona and 2024 and 2025 for the Soul, rank strongest. They are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so inspect them as carefully as any other.

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How we score the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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