2012 Kia Soul Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

37Electrical System complaints

7.2%Of all 513 complaints

#4Most-reported category

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

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE209 · 40.7%

STEERING163 · 31.8%

Unspecified / other39 · 7.6%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37 · 7.2%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC34 · 6.6%

Share of the 513 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Kia Soul overview page.

What owners report

“CAR WOULD NOT START, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WIRE COVERS AND WIRES WERE DISINIGRATED. IT WAS TAKEN TO SHOP AND REPAIRED. THEN TWO WEEKS…”NHTSA complaint 11094110 — filed 05/16/2018

“12/28/17 PURCHASED CAR FROM KIA DEALERSHIP. 1/27/18 I WAS DRIVING APPROX 50 MPH DOWN A COUNTY ROAD AND THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDSHIELD PANELLING FLEW OFF…”NHTSA complaint 11071596 — filed 02/07/2018

“2012 KIA SOUL WITH LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES AND THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS .”NHTSA complaint 11066866 — filed 02/04/2018

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

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Kia Soul have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Kia Soul: 37 of 513 complaints on file (7.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Kia Soul have in total?

513 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 25 involved a crash, 23 involved a fire, 25 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records 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 07/14/2026.