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
902 reports, newest first.
Engine, Jan 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone where a diagnostic test was performed and produced an unknown code indicating failure with the O2 sensor. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the contact requested that a diagnostic test be performed due to the check engine warning light being illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that five recall repairs were performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, due to inclement weather, she was unaware that while driving, the vehicle went into Limp Mode. The contact also stated that while attempting to accelerate, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the vehicle had gone into Limp Mode due to a KSDS software update. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to assist due to the vehicle being out of warranty. The contact was informed that her case would be escalated. The failure mileage was approximately 206,975.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 17, 2023
i was driving home and noticed my gas mileage rapidly going down. (before when i filled up i used to get 408 miles till “E” then got 380) so i knew sowmthing was starting to go wrong. then, my engine light started flashing. i got my catalytic converters replaced but i’m still losing gas mileage bad and engine ticking.
Other or unspecified, Jan 15, 2023
Took my car in the dealership 3 months ago before I hit my 100K mark. The engine sounded like a Cummons diesel and the engine light kept going on and off. They did an oil change and kept my car for 3 days and were unable to diagnose the problem. I made sure the problem was documented by the dealer. Recently it started to sound the same and the light kept going on and off and I couldn't get into the dealership on my day off. So I went to a Jiffy Lube even though I still had some mileage before it was due. The guy there was very concerned and said my car was burning oil quite badly and there was an issue with the timing chain causing it and my car was at risk of seizing up. He recommended getting to the dealer as soon as possible. I took time from work the next day and fortunately the engine light was still on and they apparently diagnosed the problem without telling anything more than to expect a call from the manufacturer. That was on January 10th. It is now the 15th and I have not heard anything. I have never even been told when I take the car in for oil changes that I'm even low on oil and Jiffy Lube has been the only one to bring this to my attention. Prior to this the dealership has been the only one to do my oil changes and I was in one more time between when the problem started in February and now.
Structure, Jan 12, 2023
This car has experienced paint issues due to poor bonding of the primer. The paint is literally peeling off the car in sheets. It has been going on for the last 1.5 years , and Kia states that it is not their problem. I have worked patiently with them for almost a year as they have instructed me to go, and get paint estimates. After this was completed they then stated the case was determined “ No Goodwill”.As far as they were concerned ; they determined they were not going to pay to have the car painted.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 10, 2023
Whenever needing to accelerate sharply on highway or roadways a plume of white smoke is released from the engine manifold compartment area and creates a smoke screen surrounding and behind vehicle. Had numerous mechanics fix things on this, fuel injectors recently, Kia dealership states it needs a new engine but extended warranty would not cover the cost. Vehicle was sold to me and under financing through Westlake Financial and is lien holder, but vehicle is claimed by dealership to be unsafe to drive. Forced to purchase an additonal new vehicle and still paying and insurinance on this vehicle.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 7, 2023
I have did a diagnosis on the car and it’s coming back to the catalytic converter, the gas in my car is draining out like crazy it’s like i’m putting in so much just for it to run out. The RPMs won’t go up when suppose to. The seems like it’s trying so hard to switch in and out of gears
Engine, Jan 6, 2023
I purchased the vehicle new (2014 KIA Soul, 1.6 liter) and in 2019 (85,000), under NHTSA Recall ID: 19V120000, I took the vehicle to a dealer who allegedly effected the repair, claiming, according to KIA, the catalytic converter was ok. I had a warranty on the vehicle to 120,000 miles. At 125,000 miles, today, the catalytic converter is damaged structurally probably due to overheat, specifically the issue that prompted the recall. I feel that the dealership may have not properly performed the software change and/or failed to identify damage to the catalytic converter. Understand that the vehicle was driven sparingly, low annual mileage, as my wife, the driver, was disabled in 2014 and subsequently only used the vehicle mainly for local errands.
Engine, Jan 5, 2023
Own my way home from work. It was foggy and rainy. I did not realize it flooded. I ran my car in the water. After that it started messing up and not running right. My insurance sent it to Kia and Kia claims that the catalytic converter is all of a sudden messed up and said it don't have water damage. Know I can't drive my vehicle bc my insurance want fix it.
Engine, Dec 29, 2022
The contact’s daughter owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to approximately 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 20, 2022, fire
The vehicle’s engine spontaneously caught fire on the interstate. Entire car and all belongings inside were a total loss.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the catalytic converter had previously been replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was also consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 13, 2022
The engine is the system that is malfunctioned and yes it is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle accelerates at a slower pace than actual acceleration pressure put on pedal and then it lurches/jerks forward at a fast pace and then slows down and repeats that process over and over. Yes the problem has been confirmed. It has been inspected by the dealership. Yes the warning lamps that often illuminate are the check engine light and the oil light. They first appeared to my knowledge on 01/2020. I have been told numerous times by the Kia dealership where I get the vehicle serviced as well as Kia America Inc. Corporate Headquarters, that the engine has a malfunction and needs to be replaced. I attempted to have this problem fixed and I have missed work and spent thousands of dollars for this vehicle to work correctly.
Engine, Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine was running hot with a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and then stated that the VIN was not included even though the VIN tool confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). A case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Air bags, Dec 11, 2022
I was informed by U.S. Mail with a letter from Kia America this vehicle has an important NHTSA Recall number 22V096. I have contacted three Kia dealerships since received the letter dated April 4, 2022, about 3 times each. Each time, a representative says they will contact me "when they receive parts for the recall" but this recall indicates there are no parts required, instead saying "dealers will update the ACU software to enable deployment of the frontal airbags..." I am concerned these three Kia dealerships are not acting in good faith to fix a critical safety recall on my vehicle. They are denying me service. This seems illegal. How do I get my car software fixed so the airbags will deploy properly in all accident conditions? These are the three dealerships I have left my contact information with, requesting recall service repair work to be done: Koons Kia of Woodbridge, 14208 Richmond Hwy, Woodbridge, VA 22191 Ourisman Kia of Alexandria, 8670 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309 DARCARS Kia of Temple Hills, 4700 Branch Ave, Temple Hills, MD 20748
Visibility/wiper, Dec 6, 2022
The rear windshield in my 2014 Kia Soul shattered upon getting into it and just closing the driver’s side front door. The car had been parked for about 11 hours and was not running at the time - I hadn’t even started it yet. There was no sign or indication of anything or anyone hitting the window. I am now finding a number of posts online where this is happening. One person posted that their Kia Soul rear window shattered twice in 4 months! I live in Rhode Island and it is December so temperature shifts can be pretty extreme at times and my Kia is usually parked on the side of the road in full Sun. I’m just glad no one was hurt and this didn’t happen to me while driving on the highway. I am the second owner of the vehicle and I bought it with low mileage. I also pretty rarely open the hatch back and always try not to slam any of the doors although it does happen occasionally especially when joined by other passengers. This does appear to be a fairly widespread issue and I hope that Kia is forced to fully address it as it does pose a potentially dangerous safety issue.
Engine, Dec 5, 2022
Vehicle has engine knocking and cylinder misfires believed to have been caused by a previous recall/ system update. Kia was supposed to have updated their KSDS (Knock sensor detection system) in my 2014 Kia Soul. I was driving the Kia Soul to work back in October 2021 when check engine light started flashing and vehicle started shaking. Vehicle then went into limp mode and shut off. Vehicle was towed to Balise Kia in West Springfield MA where they informed me no repairs would be covered because the previous update had not been installed. I was then told the vehicle had to be driven at least 100 miles in order to qualify for repairs to be covered but still at this time, vehicle is disabled and does not run or drive
Engine, Nov 28, 2022
My catalytic converter continuously fails. I have fixed it once, but yet my car still jerks and uses a lot of oil. As for being put at risk, my accelerator takes time to accelerate which can prevent any accidents on the road, putting myself and my family in danger. I have visited my local car dealer and they never mentioned anything about all the recalls my car had. I went in to get my airbags fixed but nothing was ever risen of the rest on the list. From what I know this car was never inspected by manufacturer police. I began to have this problem the first year (2020). This Kia Soul was purchased preowned, and was rarely use by its owner (Pristine Condition). Once I started to drive it more it began to jerk a lot, make clicking noises and the engine oil and check engine light would turn on. It took a while for it to even alert me. I paid all this out of pocket and wasn’t ever brought up anything about the recalls this car had.
Engine, Nov 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine was making an abnormal sound and there was a burning odor inside the vehicle while driving. The local dealer was contacted and diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact they would not repair the vehicle under the recall as she failed to complete the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and left voicemail messages to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 201,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Nov 14, 2022
Engine malfunction and burning excessive amounts of oil and no warnings of this malfunction on dash. Engine will need complete replacement
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the engine emitted abnormal rattling sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving 30 MPH. The contact then inspected the oil dipstick and noticed that there was no oil, even though he had only driven 3,000 - 3,500 miles after the last oil change. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall as the original owner failed to complete an unknown software update. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine, Nov 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at 80 MPH, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly to 40 MPH. The check engine warning light and the oil pressure warning light were illuminated. The contact refilled the oil reservoir with the assistance of a towing agent. However, the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was towed to the contact 's residence. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired as she failed to complete an unknown software update on the vehicle; however, the contact stated that she had not receive a notice in that regards. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Steering, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Oct 17, 2022, crash
On or about 10/11/22 while driving I completely lost control of the vehicle suddenly. I was unable to break or use my steering wheel. The vehicle rolled over twice and the front airbags failed to deploy.
Engine, Oct 17, 2022
Has consumed more than 15 qts if oil in the last 2.5 months less than 3000 miles. Has had check engine light come on due to low oil. Ha e had to continue to refill oil. Highly concerned I'm going to get stranded due to engine failure. Kia dealership I took it to was no help.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 11, 2022
My car was jerking, and smoking broke down in OK, the mechanic that fixed my car told me to reach out to KIA and you because he said that Oil was leaking down into the coils and I was lucky that A. it didn't catch fire with me and my child in the car and B. that it didn't burn up my motor. Since this happened on 9/5/22 I have to put 2qts oil in my car ever week and half because the oil is "burning up". I have the receipt with details from the shop in Oklahoma. I have reached out to Kia several times, but nobody calls me back.
Engine, Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the catalytic converter sensor to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact stated she had the oil changed in April but when she took the vehicle to an independent mechanic they informed her the vehicle needed another oil change. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle needed an oil consumption test to be completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.