2025 Kia Soul Safety Rating
Small cars Β· Historical model-year record Β· IIHS source checked 2026-07-28
This is the 2025 record, kept for reference. IIHS no longer lists a newer model year for this nameplate. The 2025 results below are the exact ratings IIHS published for this model year.
Which build and equipment does this score describe?
Latest applicable build; standard AEB and lowest current-trim headlight rating. Headlights use the lowest rating among applicable current trims; this is a conservative equipment baseline, not a claim that every trim has identical results. Confirm the production date and equipment of the car you are buying.
Optional-system results are shown separately. Combining the best rating from different packages does not establish that one purchasable configuration earns them all. Check IIHS equipment details.
IIHS crash-test results
Detailed results by test (23 entries)
IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).
Small overlap front
Rating applies to 2020-25 models
Small overlap front
Rating applies to 2020-25 models
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2020-25 models
Opens on iihs.org in a new tab
How the score is built
See our full scoring methodology and rules β
NHTSA 5-star rating
2025 Kia Soul SUV FWD
NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β
IIHS crash-test videos
No crash-test video was found on the saved IIHS page for this model year. Visit IIHS for the latest test details and any newly added videos.
Real-world context
| Measure | Result | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class driver death rate | 54 per million registered vehicle-years | Small cars as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only. |
| Kia Soul (2020) driver death rate | 63 (95% CI 6β120) | Earlier model years of this nameplate; class average for that study 36.7. Reflects who bought and drove those cars as well as the car. |
Our analysis
The 2025 Kia Soul belongs to the Small cars class. This class has an above-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years, which usually reflects lighter weight and smaller size in multi-vehicle crashes. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.
The Kia Soul has no IIHS Top Safety Pick award in the 2026 award cycle. That can mean a result below the award threshold in one test, or tests IIHS has not completed. Absence of an award is not evidence that the vehicle is unsafe.
Across the 2 IIHS rating categories reported, the Kia Soul earned 1 Good ratings. One result sits below Good; the verdict at the top of the page names it.
This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with Kia or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.
Safety recalls for the 2025 Kia Soul
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this model and year. An unmatched or unavailable lookup is not evidence of a clean recall record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A recall applies to a range of build dates, not necessarily every car of this model year, so confirm against your own VIN. Recalls do not affect the safety score on this page.
Questions about the 2025 Kia Soul
Is the 2025 Kia Soul a safe car?
IIHS has published 1 of the 4 primary tests and 2 of the 4 occupant-protection details for the 2025 Kia Soul. Available results are shown below. Only current models with all required results enter the ranking.
What is the 2025 Kia Soul IIHS rating?
IIHS reports: small overlap front = Good; latch ease of use = Acceptable.
Is the 2025 Kia Soul an IIHS Top Safety Pick?
No. The 2025 Kia Soul does not hold an IIHS Top Safety Pick award for the 2025 model year, which can reflect a result below Good in a qualifying test or tests that IIHS has not yet completed.
What is the 2025 Kia Soul NHTSA rating?
NHTSA gives the 2025 Kia Soul SUV FWD an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars (frontal 4, side 5, rollover 4). NHTSA stars are shown for reference and are not part of our score.
How does the 2025 Kia Soul compare with other small cars?
The class leader is the 2026 Hyundai Elantra at 94.1/100. The comparison table on this page lists the closest-scoring current small cars with complete records.
Continue comparing
Shopping for a family? Compare three-row vehicles and rear-seat evidence. Buying used? See real driver death rates by model.