2014 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 902 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 34 involved a crash and 69 involved a fire. 30 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontalFeb 18, 2022
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014 Soul vehicles. The front air bags may not deploy during a crash if the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) loses communication with the front impact sensors.
Front air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will update the ACU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC229.
Campaign 22V096000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineDec 2, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Campaign 20V750000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineFeb 22, 2019
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Campaign 19V120000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringSep 29, 2017
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
Campaign 17V608000 on NHTSA.gov
Vehicle speed control, accelerator pedalMar 2, 2015
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture.
If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116.
Campaign 15V123000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
590 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 6, 2022
Car has issues when starting up. When turning on, occasionally it will take time to completely turn on, its as if it’s not receiving enough power from battery, but then it will turn on with the traction control and engine light being on. I would have to turn it off and turn it back off for those light to turn off. I’ve also driven the car and it will turn off, but the light is still on, the engine just turned off. This will also happen when I’m idle and waiting to run the car. When driving, I feel something being moved and the traction light & engine light will turn on. Especially when I try to get more speed on the car. I’ve taken the car numerous times for this issue but each time they’ve told me nothing was wrong with it. I’ve replaced battery since this was what we thought the issue was initially. On the 3rd time I’ve taken the car to get fixed, i was told that the ECM is the issue. Took a month to get the piece and car fixed. Same day receiving it back, it was doing the same thing where it would not turn on properly and the traction control light is on. And now when driving the engine and traction light are both on more often.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 6, 2022
I had the Knock sensor recall updated on my car last year. This installation was faulty so Kia had to create a software for my car for the knock sensor. Recently, my car has starting losing momentum when trying to drive and it's slow to shift almost like it's stuck in safe mode which is what happened after the kds was put in place. I believe the software or the sensor may be malfunctioning. This is affecting my gas mileage and possibly harming my transmission. This could possibly cause me to be in an accident with severe injuries or death.
Engine, Jan 5, 2022
Live in Dallas,TX. In MS 12/29/20 when engine failed, no warning. Did not receive recall until 1/28/21. KIA Wilson Flowood,MS kept my Soul until I retuned in person to MS 4/7 and demanded they return my Soul. Admitted they had to finish installing engine. I picked it up 4/9. I knew before I left MS my vehicle was not running as it was before the incident. Took to Central KIA Plano,TX. Kept it several days but was told they found no issues. Soul still not running as before. Went for oil change 11/9 & was informed I had almost no oil. Said appeared oil pan not fitting correctly. Took to Southwest Kia Dallas. When I picked it back up was told oil pan had not been reinstalled property & same for the engine. Said multiple screws & bolts missing.They took pics & sent to their district mgr. I contacted my KIA consumer advocate. Bottom line was told my responsibility to take car back to Wilson in MS for them to correct poor workmanship. I do not feel safe driving my Soul for fear the engine will fail again. If it should happen on Freeway, especially in Dallas, I could easily be struck by another vehicle. I feel KIA should correct their issue & authorize a local Dallas dealer to do so. KIA has put it in my hands to correct. Why would I drive my Soul 456 miles back to dealership that did not repair it correctly in the first place? I have no faith they would correct the issues.
Engine, Dec 30, 2021
This vehicle has been a nightmare for half of the time that I’ve had it. I first took it back to the Kia dealership in 2019 because of the check engine light and told them it was pulling a 420 code I knew that was a catalytic converter which had been recalled. After a few hours of having my car they told me that no repairs were needed so they marked the recall as complete. I had to continue to drive with a check engine light on for several months. I brought it back again because I needed it to be fixed in order to pass the state inspection for registration renewal . At that point they did put on a new catalytic converter. Ever since then it has been leaking or burning oil. I’m not sure how it’s gone through so much oil but the oil light has stayed on more than it’s turned off despite putting a quart in every couple of days . For the last month I’ve been doing 2 quarts at a time. Two nights ago my engine light started flashing on the highway. My car was shaking violently. When I got to my destination my engine completely died and the car started rolling backwards in the street as I went to put it in park. I have since towed my vehicle twice to different auto shops. Currently they’re saying that it needs a new engine because of the oil problem and are quoting me $7800. I believe that this was part of the recall and that I should’ve received a new engine two years ago. Instead I have easily spent more than $1000 this year on oil alone. And I cannot afford an engine that is worth twice as much as the car itself. I am very lucky that I wasn’t stranded on the interstate and even luckier that my car didn’t catch on fire. For that I don’t credit the car I credit the fact that I slowed down well below the speed limit to finish my route.
Engine, Dec 28, 2021
The engine on my Kia Soul blew about 3 months ago. My husband was driving on the highway when the car started acting funny. It lost the power to accelerate and steer. He was able to make it to a gas station where he checked all the fluids. He found there to be NO oil!! There was no indication light or warning! As a matter of fact, we had the oil changed about a month prior to the incident. We also had the car into the dealership for a recall about the knock sensor detection system, maybe 3 weeks before this happened. I'm very upset, Kia will not work with me because the car has a little over 100,000 miles. I just don't understand how the engine could have been bone dry with absolutely no indication of it. There were no oil puddles in the driveway, no smell of burning oil, and above all else NO warning lights!!! Nobody was hurt, but they absolutely could have been!
Engine, Dec 16, 2021
Vehicle is a 2014 Kia Soul with the 1.6L GDI engine. While traveling at highway speeds the engine began to run rough and the vehicle lost power. The check engine light did not illuminate. We pulled off the highway to a Kia dealership in Greensboro, NC with the engine continuing to run & idle roughly. The dealership replaced the spark plugs & coils believing it was a misfire issue, however the engine continued to run poorly. A compression test showed 30 psi in one cylinder with 130 psi in the others. The engine would require replacement at only 72k miles. The vehicle was maintained per the maintenance schedule, and fluids were kept at the proper level. Without any warning this could have caused an accident on the highway.
Engine, Dec 4, 2021
Engine consuming so much oil it caused several breakdowns while driving, including total loss of acceleration and very bad engine knocking/shaking. Constantly refilling oil to avoid these breakdowns. Integral engine parts failed including catalytic converter and cam shaft sensors. Parts replaced but issue is not resolved. Engine still miss fires and needed 3 oil changes in 3 months, in addition to constant extra oil being added in the meantime. Car isn’t safe to drive because breakdowns and miss fires happen without warning, without an engine light or oil light.
Steering, Engine and engine cooling, Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle wobbled and hesitated to accelerate. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of oil. The local dealer and Gurley Leep Kia (4028 Grape Rd, Mishawaka, IN 46545) were made aware of the failure. Both dealers informed the contact that the next available appointment was on December 20th. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact learned that there were two recalls associated with the VIN; NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V608000 (Steering) and 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine, Dec 2, 2021
2914 Kia Soul with 49,405 miles. Malfunction Indicator Lamp illuminated-No drivability issues were noted outside of a rapid idle at startup. Dealer scan indicated fault code P050A and performed ECU upgrade for $186.51.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 29, 2021, fire
The front of the car started to smoke (black smoke coming from under the hood) while driving on a highway and caught fire within one minute. The safety of the driver was at risk. He barely had enough time to get out of the car before the whole front of the car burst into flames. The driver had to call 911. The FDNY put the fire out with NYPD present. The fire was so big that there was nothing left to inspect after FDNY put the fire out. This was a total loss and insurance accepted the photos without physically inspecting the car. The car began to sound like it was running on diesel and lost power shortly before the smoke. No other obvious warnings or signs were noted.
Engine, Nov 29, 2021
Unknown.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 27, 2021
My check engine light goes on and off and its reading catalytic converter there is a recall for that as well on kia souls
Engine, Nov 20, 2021
Catalytic converter was replaced on 10/27/21 as well as Logic update. After driving the car 53 miles it got hot and started smoking and now the head gasket is blown. No warning lights came on except the temp went to Hot. Dealer says they won’t replace the engine.
Power train, Engine, Nov 12, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his wife was at a stop light, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The power train warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while driving the vehicle was shuddering. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the vehicle was misfiring and that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to local dealer and was diagnosed with loss of pressure on cylinder #3. The PSI pressure was five. There was an indication of the vehicle leaking and burning engine oil. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the failure was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 164,000.
Engine, Nov 10, 2021
I took my 2014 Kia Soul into the dealer to have them do the 2 open recalls on the car, the one to update the knock sensor logic detection system and they also replaced the catalytic converter. 2 days later after picking up the car & only driving it 50 miles, the engine blew (head gasket blew) and it overheated all the way & there was white smoke coming out and the oil was milky. The dealer said that I would not be getting a new engine (like the recall said) and that I could have the had the head gasket replaced for around $1500 or that I could pay from $5000 to 8000 for a replacement engine. I feel really let down because it seems like the dealer acted in bad faith and didn't even contact Kia about providing me with a new engine. Before the engine blew, the KSLD system did nothing to alert us (because I think the engine was already messed up) Any help you can provide would be great. Thank you
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 26, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, when there was an abnormal knocking noise coming from the engine compartment and suddenly there was smoke as well. The contact was able to pull over and EMS were called to the scene, before fire marshals arrived on the scene the fire extinguished on its own. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure but was unable to assist the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 93,635.
Engine, Oct 20, 2021
Engine making knocking noise, car turns off while driving, it won't start sometimes, hard hesitates when gears change, I'm mostly concerned about it turning off while driving in a high way it happened three times already to me!
Engine, Oct 12, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and would not go past 45 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, however, the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the knock sensors needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Engine, Oct 7, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) on 9/21/2021. The contact called multiple local dealers and was informed the closest appointment was on 11/8/2021 to have recall repairs. The contact stated on 9/24/2021 while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to decelerate its speed and the brakes pedal was hard when depressing. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver stated she saw smoke exiting under the hood and then the vehicle accelerated independently while depressing on the brake pedal. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer on 9/37/2021, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The dealer informed he had a salvage title and Kia manufacturer declined to complete recall repairs. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,400.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started sputtering then loss motive power. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was leaking oil onto the ground. The contact inspected the engine and saw that the rod had pierced the engine block. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which associated with the VIN. However, the contact had not received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and to pay for the vehicle to be towed to a dealer, and if deemed that the VIN was associated with the recall, then the cost for the repair would be covered. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Engine, Oct 1, 2021
When trying to accelerate the engine does not go into the next gear causing the speed to stay below 60 mph.
Engine, Sep 21, 2021
Started experiencing engine issues around 100,000 miles/6 years with Kia Soul, including very sluggish acceleration, not shifting gears properly or when needed on Highway. A couple of different technicians/dealers looked at car and couldn’t figure it out. In June 2020 at 108,151 miles a Kia dealer/servicer determined the catalytic converter was the issue and needed replacement. Kia refused to provide a new one, as it was just outside the 6 year/100,000 mile warranty. Now in September 2021 the car is having the same problems and a Kia dealer/servicer determined the catalytic converter needs to be replaced AGAIN. Kia refused to replace, as they only give a 1 year warranty on the new one they put in June 2020 (doesn’t EPA require a 5 year warranty on new aftermarket catalytic converters?). Contacted Kia Consumer Affairs and have pending escalated claim for them to provide the catalytic converter this time. There is clearly something wrong with the engine that it is causing the catalytic converters to fail so soon. Seems very similar to the vehicles that were included in the $760 million Kia engine settlement.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, while pulling into the driveway the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the engine oil level was low. The contact added a quart of oil to the engine. Several days later while the vehicle was started, the contact heard the same abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the engine temperature was elevated, and the vehicle was consuming oil. The contact reached out to an independent mechanic about the failure and was informed over the phone that the vehicle might need a new engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 10, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph during rainy weather conditions, the vehicle began to produce a knocking noise, decelerated, and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact's boyfriend opened the hood and confirmed that there was a fire. The fire extinguished itself and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was currently there for diagnostics but not repaired as of yet. During the incident, the police were called but it was unknown if a police report was filed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 3, 2021
I took my 2014 soul to get recall done in San Leandro on 01APR21.No repairs done except coil that I paid for.Today 03SEP21 I took my 2015 soul in(same issue as b4 little power)and they are telling me my catalytic converter needs changing. To my understanding when I had them check the safety recall The repairs would of happened then ,Dealers will upgrade the catalytic overheating protection engine control unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced. All repairs will be done for free.This was not done to my 2014 soul.