2015 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 904 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 36 involved a crash and 83 involved a fire. 32 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
660 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the engine hesitated and emitted smoke from the tailpipe. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was not diagnosed. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 16, 2022
Now when I just went to check my engine oil it smelled of gas and was starting to get pretty low. I just checked it 2 weeks ago and it Was fine. No one has ever inspected the vehicle and yes it is very available for inspection. Still my fuel consumption is terrible and now my oil is low low with a gas smell to it. No warning lights have ever came on and it seems to drive fine.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 15, 2022, crash
After reading in my instructions Manuel about what might be causing my fuel consumption to be way to high I learned that the gas cap was suppose to click which it has not since we got the vehicle in December of 2021so I went and bought a gas cap and now it clicks like it’s suppose to. My fuel consumption is way to high right now I have filled this car up with gas so many more times then any other vehicle I have owned. When I put fuel in you can smell the fuel for the next two days and every now and again you get a whiff of engine coolant smell and a burning smell I’m not sure what the burning smell is because I’ve never smelled it before. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. No one has inspected it still since my last complaint. And no there has been not a single warning light.
Engine, Jan 12, 2022
FROM: [XXX]January 12, 2022 [XXX] Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration www.safecar.gov Re: 2015 KIA SOUL Recall Consumer Complaint Recall Did Nothing to Remedy Oil Burning Problem Recall Letter Dated 1/25/21 Recall Number - 20V750 VIN - [XXX] Dealership Handling Recall on 1/3/22: Smail Kia 5094 US-30 Greensburg, PA 15601 724-471-5045 BACKGROUND: Car problems can be very devastating to senior citizens like us so it's a harsher impact on us when a dealership serves simply as a protective agent of the corporation it serves. As such, at KIA of Greensburg, PA we recently experienced, firsthand, the dealership protecting the corporation ahead of responsible consumers like us who have spent much money over the years diligently maintaining our 2015 KIA SOUL automobile to preserve it as long as possible. Despite timely oil changes throughout its life, the vehicle is now consuming oil. PROBLEM: [XXX] noticed a knocking sound in the engine of our 2015 KIA SOUL about 150 miles before our next scheduled oil change of December, 2021 at 111,000 miles. We have diligently changed our oil every 3,000 miles since the day we bought our 2015 KIA Soul brand new at Fette Ford of Clifton, NJ in December, 2014. Also, we have been diligently using quality synthetic oil for the past two years changing the oil whenever due. Our mechanic checked the knocking noise that [XXX] recently noticed in the engine before our scheduled oil change in December, 2021 and he discovered, for the very first time that he ever serviced our vehicle in over two years, that the engine was down two quarts of oil! He then did a very thorough inspection for oil leaks. None were detected. This oil consumption problem went unnoticed because it never manifested itself previously until December 2021. At the end of the last week in December of 2021, I contacted th INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Jan 5, 2022
On December 20th I had a Cylinder 2 & 4 misfire. I had to get my vehicle towed to the KIA dealership where they kept my car for a week. I called to get an update and I was told that my engine was a total lost and I went over the 100,000 mile warranty so I would have to pay $5500 out of pick to replace my engine. I was given a phone number to call the KIA customer service. Once I reached an operator I learned that there was an engine recall 12-01-2020 and I was not notified of this recall and I also learned that there was a system update April 2021 that I was notified about either. I am a single mom of 3 with a full time job , I can’t just got out and buy a car. This is just ridiculous had I been notified maybe I would still have my car.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 1, 2022
In the past year my 2015 Kia Soul has been loosing power, burning oil not leaking and if you have to drive more then 2 hours you have to put oil in it. The engine shakes we took it for a recall but the issue was never fixed.
Engine, Dec 27, 2021
Engine smells funny like something burning and has oil consumption, it has been took in for all recalls and still continues to smell like it does and burn oil.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic was upgraded under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling) to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. While driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently began to stall. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he continued to drive the vehicle, but the vehicle would not exceed 5 MPH. The contact pulled to the nearest parking lot and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to Pep Boys who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed to cause an oil leak. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 116,579.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 26, 2021
Acceleration system/ on highway at high speeds It stay accelerating at very high rpms as it shifts into the next gear and it is consuming a very large amount of fuel at the same time. It is available for an inspection. It has not been inspected by anyone. While driving on the highway at high speeds I felt it was putting my family and myself at risk of crash or engine failure or being stuck on the side of the highway.
Engine, Dec 23, 2021
engine light started blinking and engine runs rough, as in limp mode. dealer has failed to schedule an appointment to address this recall in the past after several attempts.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 22, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 30 MPH, the engine oil warning light illuminated, and she heard abnormal sounds coming from the engine. The contact stated that as the vehicle began to stall, his daughter veered to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle but did not inform the contact of the diagnostic result. The dealer advised the contact that they could not repair the vehicle as he had failed to complete the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would follow up with the dealer and assist with the repair of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had been at the dealer since July 12th. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 99,600. Parts distribution disconnect. Car is still at the dealer hickory hollow Kia in Tennessee as of March 15 it will have been there for 8 months Kia says parts still on back order.
Engine, Dec 22, 2021
Excessive oil consumption burning a quart of oil every thousand miles , have taken it in to Buchanan Kia 119 Railroad ave. Westminster Maryland 21157 for them to run test and it has a recall for this issue and has not been fixed , they tell us that it is normal for a car to use a quart of oil every thousand miles ,being taken in on 7/21/21 ,9/09/21,10/04/21 ,for them to run test and they say it is normal . we have been complaining about this issue back at 60k. They do not fix the issue and there is a recall for this .
Engine, Dec 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was blinking on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Engine, Dec 10, 2021
Wed Dec 8,2021 - I was driving home after picking up take out when vehicle loses power upon acceleration. Check engine light begins blinking and vehicle monitoring system specifies an issue with the Engine Control Management System. I am able to limp home, turn off the car then turn it on again. Still have the blinking CEL and same message from vehicle monitoring system. I check the engine oil as it was making a clacking sound during driving but I did not think it was the engine oil because the car had just had a dealer oil change and inspection at 90,000 miles and I was at 93,100. The engine oil level was non-existent, so I refilled the oil to the working level on the dip stick. I start the vehicle again but the CEL was still flashing and acceleration did not go above 2,500 rpms. Fri Dec 10, 2021 - I bring it to my auto shop and have them diagnose the issue and am informed that the engine in my Kia is prone to excessive engine oil consumption. TSB-222 Excessive Oil Consumption -Nu/Gamma Engines. This I was unaware of and never brought to my attention by the Kia dealership that serviced my car, Citrus Kia in Ontario, CA and Riverside Kia in Riverside, CA. I had always brought my car in at 7,500-mile intervals for its oil change as specified in the owner's manual. I am then informed that because of the lack of adequate oil, some engine components are on the verge of failing, that I will need to replace my engine. This should be addressed by Kia and they should be responsible for this failure.
Engine, Dec 6, 2021
Engine failure on freeway 2 times in last 9 months. Engine rattles as if coming apart and almost complete loss of power. Had spark plugs replaced after both incidents for temporary fix. Mechanics informed me that 2015 KIA Soul engine have problems/issues. Engine is also burning oil. KIA dealer said it is "normal" for engine to burn oil with high mileage. (130,000 miles)
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 22, 2021
I recieved a notification of an engine recall for my Kia Soul. Took it to the nearest dealership an was told the issue was resolved. This was roughly March 1 2021. My check engine light appeared and was diagnosed as a catalytic converter/engine issue . Had vehicle towed to the dealership and after a week or who was told the issue was related to the recall and good to go Roughly 4-6 weeks later check engine light reappered with the same malfunction code. Vehicle has been towed to the dealer to diagnose and fix. The kia dealerships in my area are quoting serviced appointments months out, with no courtesy cars offered. Some dealerships have refused service altogether,.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 5, 2021
Unknown Consumer stated car broke down on October 29th, car was driven less than a mile, when consumer heard a noise coming from the car. In trying to pull over, car screeched and came to a stop. There was a loud metal knocking. Consumer noticed that the sound was louder when I stepped on the accelerator or started the car. No lights illuminated on the dashboard. Consumer decided that it was not safe to drive and towed it instead. Vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. KIA Customer Care was contacted to assist with the issue. Consumer was notified that there were 3 recalls on the car. SC-200, SC-155, and PI-2002. At that point, dealer towed consumer's car to a dealership to complete the recalls since it was believed that the car malfunction was due to one of these issues, but no diagnostics were run by the dealership to confirm. On November 2nd, consumer's case was closed without notice. Consumer reached out to KIA customer care and was told that there was nothing they could do to complete the recalls and was not covered under any warranty.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 3, 2021
During the month of March 2021, I received a recall letter from Kia Motors America involving a potential engine fire. The vehicle was taken to the local Kia dealership for service. The problem was the loss of oil. The dealership replaced the pan and I incurred the cost of an oil switch replacement. The next incident, June 2021, was the replacement of catalytic converters. Following this, my check engine illuminated and the car was taken to Kia. They replaced the knock sensor (July 2021). In August 2021, another knock sensor replacement. The vehicle continues to lose power and fail to properly accelerate. October 2021, vehicle taken to dealership and I am informed of the catalytic converter requires replacement. Since they are under warranty, the vehicle was taken to the independent dealership that informed me that this situation with the catalytic converters will be ongoing because the engine is bad. The pistons and valves require replacement. Kia refuses to replace the engine unless the connecting rod barring fails. My concern is the use of the word safety; especially knowing that this vehicle and probably many more will encounter major engine malfunctions.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds there was heat emerging from underneath the dashboard. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
Engine, Oct 23, 2021
Engine rod bearing failure. Engine failure. Vehicle was consuming more oil than expected and engine just shut off. Vehicle would not shift into gear. Battery was not charged. When fine finally came on after charging there was a knocking sound. Engine would not accelerate and knocking sound became loud. Vehicle would not even stop.
Engine, Oct 16, 2021
Catalytic converter failed. Car can over heat and catch on fire. Took to dealership and has been confirmed catalytic converter failed. Vehicle only has 83,000 miles. No warning engine start rattling really bad and vehicle was struggling to go up bridges and speed up.
Engine, Oct 15, 2021
I towed my car to a Kia Dealership and was told the Engine needs to be replaced
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 13, 2021
The engine is leaking oil and got so hot that it melted the inside of the Catalytic converter. This is a recall on 2015 Kia Soul 1.7 liter and not on my 2015 Kia Soul 2.0 liter. I had the car towed to the Kia dealership, Larry Stovesand-Carbondale IL, 5/7/21 to perform 3 recalls: PI2002B (knock sensor), SC200PS (engine inspect/bearing clearance test) and SC155B (pinion gear). The dealership service dept. told me that they had to do the knock sensor and pinion gear recall before they could do the engine inspect bearing clearance test. They kept my car for 3 months, until 8/4/21 and told me about the melted catalytic converter, but still had not performed the engine inspect. I marked the tire with a rock on top to make sure that they did the test. After a week, I went to the dealership. They told me the car passed the engine test. I asked if the test was performed in the garage and I was told yes. I told the service personnel that my car had not been moved because I had marked it with a rock and that the rock was still in the same place on the tire. He said he was going to get the tech and immediately walked out, came back with a tech person that said that he had performed the test but that he had not put it into the system yet. I got the keys to my car and called my local mechanic and had him tow my car to his garage to replace the catalytic converter. The car had the same problems with knocking, hesitation, top speed of 60 mph, and using oil. My local mechanic said the pistons are leaking. I finally got the recalled documentation in the mail from the dealership and it showed they only performed PI 2002B & SC200PS recalls. They did not perform the SC155B recall even though they had the car for 3 months. The car stalled on the highway with my daughter driving. That was terrifying! Now the car is back at Kia for the engine test that I don’t think they did the first time. Now they said it passed the engine test again and only needs a knock sensor. That will not fix it!
Engine, Oct 12, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that a month after an oil change an abnormal noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who added oil to the engine and stated that no oil leaks were present. The failure would occur several times after oil changes. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH the check engine warning light illuminated while the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no diagnostic was completed due to the diagnostic fees. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as solenoid 1 and 3 misfirings. The independent mechanic recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched the failure online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE) the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact also stated that the manufacturer informed her that her Kia was not manufactured at the same plant as the vehicles included in the recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 9, 2021, fire
Driving the car up the 101 Cuesta Grade and lost acceleration. The speedometer went to zero and as the car died I pulled to the right side of the freeway / grade. Smoke started to enter my vehicle. A car stopped in front of me and one behind and the people ran from their cars to tell me to get out of my car as my front engine underneath was on fire. I got out of the car and opened the back hatch to remove my belongings as the engine burst into flames. This car has been maintained by KIA and by a personal mechanic and we were up to date on all recalls. We were NOT included in the most recent engine fire recall. The car is completely destroyed.