MODEL
Kia Soul Electric
NHTSA safety across every Kia Soul Electric model year we cover.
Across the 1 model year of the Kia Soul Electric we cover (2020 to 2020), no year has an NHTSA crash-test score on record. 1 recall have been issued across those years.
The 2020 Kia Soul Electric is a compact crossover-style hatchback powered entirely by a battery-electric drivetrain, positioned as an urban-friendly, personality-forward alternative to more conventional EVs. It targets city commuters and eco-conscious buyers who want a distinctive, boxy silhouette with zero tailpipe emissions. As the electrified variant of Kia's long-running Soul lineup, it carries strong brand recognition into an increasingly competitive EV segment.
From a pure safety-data standpoint, the 2020 Kia Soul Electric leaves shoppers with more questions than answers. NHTSA did not crash-test this model year, meaning there are no federal star ratings or Safety Index scores to anchor a confidence assessment. That absence alone is a meaningful gap for safety-conscious buyers. What NHTSA's database does show is one recall across the 2020 model year, which is a relatively contained figure, but the owner complaint picture deserves serious attention. The 354 total complaints logged are a notably high volume for a single model year, and within that pool, owners have alleged 9 crashes, 6 fires, 6 injuries, and 8 deaths. These are unverified allegations, and NHTSA's complaint database reflects what owners report rather than confirmed causation. Still, the fire allegations are particularly worth flagging on an electric vehicle, where battery-related thermal concerns carry heightened public sensitivity. A single recall suggests Kia was at least responsive to one identified defect, but the complaint volume suggests the ownership experience raised enough safety concerns for hundreds of drivers to formally document them. Without crash-test data to offset those signals, the 2020 Soul Electric's safety profile is genuinely incomplete. Shoppers should research whether any of those complaints resulted in investigations or additional recalls before committing.
WHAT REVIEWERS SAYReviewers generally regard the Soul Electric as a charming and practical urban runabout that leans into its funky, upright styling with confidence. Most praise its comfortable interior packaging, user-friendly technology interface, and composed city driving manners. Some note that its driving dynamics and cabin refinement feel more functional than premium, placing it squarely as a value-oriented choice rather than a segment benchmark.
- NHTSA did not crash-test the 2020 Kia Soul Electric, so there are no federal star ratings available - shoppers cannot use government crash-test scores to benchmark this model's structural safety.
- Owner complaints for this single model year total 354, an elevated figure that includes allegations of 6 fires - a detail worth scrutinizing carefully on any battery-electric vehicle before purchase.
- The reported allegations of 8 deaths and 6 injuries in NHTSA's complaint database are unverified and do not represent confirmed causation, but they signal that a meaningful number of owners experienced serious enough incidents to file federal reports.
- One recall was issued for the 2020 model year - shoppers should verify with a dealer or via NHTSA's VIN lookup tool that any open recall work has been completed on a specific vehicle before buying.
Most-recalled year on record: 2020 Kia Soul Electric with 1 recalls.