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, Mar 8, 2024
The catalytic converter got pluged up from the oil consumption. The car would no longer accelerate. Yes I still have the catalytic converter.yes the safety was I went to excelrate and I almost got rear ended. It just happened out of nowhere.I took it to the Meineke's shop and they said the cat was pluged but wasn't 100% sure so I had it towed to a kia dealer and they said it was 100% the catalytic converter and it wasn't covered so it would be around $3000.Yes it was inspected by the kia dealer.It had a check engine light on but it said it was the 02 sensor. It had a little less power then normal.It seemed ok when I left the house. I drove about 40 miles. I stoped for about 5 minutes to smoke and it seemed ok in the parking lot. It's when I went to excelrate out to the street it had no power.the original cat starts getting pluged over time and causes the heat to back up on the inside of the engine and puts wear on the piston rings. There for causeing it to burn the engine oil. Inturn almost fully pluging the original cat cause the engine to have no power. I have been a professional machnic for over 24 years. so I understand how engines work. Now because of the internal damage of the engine I am putting 2 quarts of oil every 1500 miles. Which is only one week for me. Thank you for reviewing this. I hope that kia will make this right.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle revved up but failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The contact added oil to the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated and flickering. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was due to engine failure and performed unknown repairs. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to another local dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Feb 22, 2024
My problems started October of 2023 on an out of state trip for a memorial for my deceased cousin. I, along with my son and 3 grandchild were on our way to West Virginia when my car wouldn’t accelerate on the freeway. We got off the freeway and found the nearest Kia dealership. They provided me with a rental and told me I needed a catalytic converter that was clogged due to heavy oil consumption and my oil was low, even thought it was 3000 miles from the next scheduled change. I paid for the services and picked my car up approximately 6 days later. In December my cars engine light came on and I started having acceleration issues again. I took it to my local dealership and was told by the service advisor that it was covered under the recall to 150,000 miles for knocking and seizing and to continue driving it. They changed the oil and I went on my way. [XXX] my engine light came on again and I called and scheduled an appointment. I dropped it off on [XXX] After 2 1/2 weeks of calling daily with no return phone calls and paying out of pocket for a rental the dealership called and said it was the camshaft. I work part time for a auto wholesales parts company and the director, who has 40 years automotive experience told me the camshaft would have nothing to do with the oil consumption. After researching on internet and finding numerous videos stating the same, I told them change the oil and I would pick it up. The next day I went to pick it up and the battery was dead. The battery was just replaced in November. They jumped it twice, I expressed my uneasiness leaving with it but was told service is closed and the have no loaners. On the way out of the parking lot, a man that stated he was the sales manager was waving and yelling “bye, don’t come back, get out of my lot”. Needless to say I was appalled. Less than 15 minutes to home, the oil light came on and my engine started marking a horrible sound. I parked in my drive and the car would not restart. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 8, 2024
Starting in summer of 2021, I began to has acceleration problems with my car and a check engine light came on. It was undrivable so I took it to the closest mechanic I could make it to, Firestone. They found the catalytic converter to be the problem and I paid $1100 to replace it. Later in 2021, the catalytic converter went out again and I had to have the engine coil and spark plugs replaced. I took it back to Firestone to replace it under warranty. During 2022, the check engine light came on again and again it was the catalytic converter. I got it replaced under warranty again. During this replacement, Firestone let me know that my engine was the source of why the catalytic converter keeps going out. The compression was too low and the engine was causing the catalytic converter to overheat. I took it to the dealership to have it diagnosed to see what was wrong in the engine. They claimed to have run diagnostics in the entire engine and only found that the engine coil and spark plugs needed replacement. I had both of those things replaced already the year before. They did not identify any problems with the new catalytic converter or any other part of the engine. The check engine light came on and my catalytic converter has gone out again and caused me to lose acceleration on a one lane each way 60mph road on my way to work. I suddenly slowed way down and cars had to swerve around me. I pulled off onto a farm road to let traffic by and then had to hobble to AutoZone nearby with my hazards on to get my check engine light codes read. It came up that the cat converter was having issues. I looked up to see if my car had any recalls and none were found. I did find that there was a major recall for Kia souls 2012-2018s for some piece of the engine that was causing catalytic converters to overheat. Many individuals who had this recall done to their vehicles also had to have engine coils and spark plugs replaced based on a forum regarding this recall.
Engine, Feb 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and the mechanic retrieved a DTC code indicating an engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was also consuming excessive amounts of engine oil. The check engine light had illuminated. The contact stated the failure persisted after the engine had been replaced. The contact believed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was failing due to the pistons being worn. The engine had been replaced when the vehicle was taken to the dealer after the first failure. The vehicle was then returned to the dealer after the failure persisted and it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 20, 2024
My car lost power going up hill on Interstate 5 and ended up seizing up. I could not bring the car to highway speeds I had to drive home using side roads. A mechanic said the car appears to be consuming oil and degraded the catalytic converter. I had to have my catalytic converter replaced. I had the recall done on my car for the catalytic converter issue identified for 2015 Kia Souls. I attempted to get repair from my dealer, Gweke Kia, under this recall but they refused and said I would be charged for the repair and diagnosis. I asked for an oil consumption study to see if the car qualifies engine repairs or replacement under my warranty but they informed me they would charge me approximately $1200 for an oil consumption study.
Engine, Jan 16, 2024, fire
THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DUE TO OVERHEATING, RESULTING IN ABNORMAL ENGINE COMBUSTION AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE PISTONS. PISTON DAMAGE CAN RESULT IN A STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. IF A PISTON ROD BREAKS AND PUNCTURES THE ENGINE BLOCK, OIL CAN ESCAPE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE. The engine caught on fire while I was driving on the highway. I was sold this car without being told of any recalls. The dealership has refused to take responsibility for not informing me of the recall. Kia cooperate office has minimal contact with me. They are currently having it towed to a Kia dealer for diagnostic testing. Currently I own $400.00 just for the rental.
Engine, Jan 13, 2024
Car lost power and had to be pulled over. Mechanic saw recall for catalytic converter however Kia website claims my VIN is not under recall.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 10, 2024
I have a complaint about my 2015 Kia Soul car service issue. Since I purchased the car in December 2021, my check engine and oil indicator light has been on. I took my car to a car repair shop, and was told that the engine oil is being sucked into the exhaust system and to take my car to a Kia dealership. I scheduled a service appointment on 07/14/2021 and paid about $145.00 for a diagnostic system check. I was told that my catalytic converter is blocked and the cost to replace the catalytic converter and labor would be about $2,000. I would have to pay another $145.00 for another diagnostic system check about the engine oil issue. The overall car issue is that the engine oil is going into the exhaust system and causing blockage in the catalytic converter. The extended warranty that I purchased with my 2015 Kia Soul from Bob Sight Kia does not cover these issues and I don't understand why. I did some research and there was a recall {2019-02-21}, {recall number SC176} on 2015 Kia Souls of the same car issues. I contacted Kia customer service to inquire about the recall. The Kia customer service representative stated that recall number SC176 was done on my Kia Soul in June 2019, but it is not stated anywhere on my car's CARFAX report nor on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) website. On the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it states, "Whether a manufacturer independently conducts a safety recall or NHSTA orders one, the manufacturer must file a public report describing the safety- related defect or noncompliance." As I am driving, my car will stop running while I am accelerating while driving down a street and/or highway. The car also stop running when I am stopped at a streetlight. I believe that the recall SC176 was not performed on my car.
Power train, Engine, Jan 8, 2024
About several months ago the car was skipping. I was told it was a coil. I had it replaced. It then drove fine. Then in Christmas Day it started again and the engine light came on once again. I took it to a mechanic and he thought it was the plug for the coil. They changed it and it did it again. He said that with Kia and Hyundai cars there is always problems like this. He said he fixed a Kia with the same problem as mine about a week ago. As a matter of fact last week when I went to get the oil changed at another place before I took to them (the last place) there was another man in there who also described his car was doing the same. I was surprised when he said he had a Kia soul. That’s why I took it to this last mechanic who could do the work. He said it would cost me anywhere from three to five thousand dollars because the motor would need to be replaced. So apparently this is a problem with Kia soul motors. My car app said something about the trans. I can get the form of where the coil was fixed. I just got the call and have not picked it up yet.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 28, 2023
While driving at 55 miles per hour, the engine suddenly ceased, emitting black smoke, causing components to melt and necessitating the replacement of the short block. Consequently, the catalytic converter is now malfunctioning, likely due to the misfires the engine experienced.
Engine, Dec 27, 2023
The engine consumes excessive oil, dropping it into the catalytic converter. This clogs the catalytic converter and causes it to overheat, creating a fire hazard. The car is on its 3rd catalytic converter in 5 years. The current one clogged in 18 months. My research indicates that this is a common issue because the rings in the gdi engine do not seat well, causing the excessive oil consumption. I've been without my car for 10 weeks, as of now, while it sits at the dealer, unable to be driven. It began at 39000 miles, then at 96000, now at 109000. But Kia won't do anything because it hasn't thrown a rod and is now past the 100k mile warranty. This entire situation should be covered under the Theta II recall, but they get out of it by requiring a connecting rod or piston failure. The dealership service manager agrees that faulty rings and oil consumption IS a piston failure, but Kia does not.
Engine, Dec 12, 2023
I own a 2015 Kia Soul. I am the second owner of this vehicle. I was notified by KIA of a service bulletin for having the software update to the ECU done to allow the knock sensor to put the car in limp mode if it detects knocking. I had the update done and now 1 year later the car went into limp mode and the notification was a P1326. I took to local dealer and they performed a bearing clearance test. The car passed the bearing clearance test but lower engine knocking is still present causing the P1326 Code / Limp Mode. The Local dealer said that the engine should be replaced. The Local Dealer and KIA Customer Service said the only way that KIA would replace engine is by failing the test. I do not feel safe putting my daughter back in this car and I do not think that I should have to pay for an engine that has known issues with metal shavings potentially blocking oil ports as described in the Kia Bulletin. Please assist!
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 28, 2023, fire
The engine warning light and catalytic converter malfunction. The car is not currently available for inspection. The car exploded after turning the engine over. The car became disabled on the busy highway while driving at night and the car exploded in flames thereafter. Yes the problem was confirmed by the dealership The vehicle was inspected by insurance representatives, fire dept and police Yes the check engine light appeared several times, was checked and reappeared several times thereafter. I made a purchase of a car 9/15/23, The warning lamp appeared a few days later.
Engine, Nov 27, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine(yes) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The engine has the same knocking noises) which indicated the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear in the engine. And it sent the vehicle into a limp mode which was the same as the 2.4 liter engines. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? NO, unable to get in contact with corporate as of 11/22 which is when the problem was identified. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not recently Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, but the code was for a misfire, which a mechanic changed with OEM parts before the next code.
Engine, Nov 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment as if the engine was revving to accelerate; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was unable to exceed 20 MPH and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be taken apart and inspected. The mechanic determined that the compression was low in the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine, Nov 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) associated with the VIN from Carfax. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made a knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer declined to perform the recall repair due to a lack of service history receipts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 93,500.
Engine, Nov 19, 2023
We kept or Kia well maintained. We was driving out of town doing 65MPH and suddenly the engine caused the car to suddenly drop to 10MPH. The engine light came on. Luckily there was no other vehicles on the road. We was able to pull off the road and have the car towed to a mechanic shop. The engine light reads for an emissions error but so far the mechanic has replaced air filter, Cadillac converters, plugs and a bunch of other stuff that we requested to be done hoping it wasn’t the engine even though the mechanic knew it was because of his past experience working on these Kias. Not only did I have to purchase a new vehicle but the Kia is still at the mechanic shop nearly a month of being there and costing us money. We was told that the engine to replace it has been discontinued and that if we found a used one in a junk yard that it would be unsafe and unwise to use. Not only did the engine failure put my family at risk physically if other vehicles would have been on the road at that time but had financially hurt us as well.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate and independently decelerated to 20 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to metal shavings in the oil. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 14, 2023
For the past two years my 2015 Kia Soul has been rapidly burning through oil. I’m having to get full oil changes every 2 months with me also adding additional top offs every few weeks. I’ve been getting the run around from KIA about this issue. I brought it in two years ago for an engine recall. The dealership in EAST MEADOW LONG ISLAND was a complete joke. They charged me a few because my check engine light was on, the reason I was there! They said my engine was fine and nothing was related to the recall. Lately I have been noticing a stalling when going up a hill and the car has trouble accelerating over 40mph. It stalled the other day while I was trying to merge on the highway. I am so sick of this car and will likely sell it at a loss. Currently has 99,000 miles on it.
Engine, Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle began shaking. The contact stated that she observed a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine and the low oil level warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,107.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 1, 2023
I took my car to a Kia dealership after the engine recall in 2020, and again this year. In 2020, they told me there wasn't anything they could do without the code. It seems very much like Kia are manipulating these recall rules. My car is making the rod noises and squealing noises related to this recall. It often loses power around 65 miles an hour. They charged me $75 for a diagnostic, and attempted to charge me $2750 for a catalytic converter repair that they said was unrelated to my engine issues. They're wrong, it was absolutely related to my engine issues. Cat converters don't cause rod noises. I'm deeply upset and angry, because I feel like I've been chasing Kia for at least 2 of the 6 years that I've had this car, and I'm really tired of getting screwed by these big companies using our system against us. I have to pay the bank, the car dealership, and the government, but nobody has my back when KIA sells me a faulty engine? They're sponsoring every major sporting event with the value they're stealing from us. They lie about engine codes. They lie about their diagnostics. I've owned a bunch of cars. I know what an engine sounds like when it's dying. They told me "it's under warranty until 150k. Bring it back if it dies." THIS IS CRIMINAL. I've been forced to pay full value of this vehicle, for a vehicle with a faulty recalled engine. I can't resell it with this engine unless I take a massive loss. I already filed a complaint with the NHTSA about this in 2021. I am filing another complaint, because Kia hasn't resolved the issue yet. Someone is going to be responsible for this, and I'm never going to give up. I want my engine replaced, and I want criminal charges brought against the exes at this company. I'm deeply affecting my emotional state, and frankly, I'm saddened by the fact that I can get suckered into buying a 5 star vehicle (NHTSA rating) only to be met with this chaos.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 10, 2023
I believe the recalls for the ‘Engine’ and the ‘Engine and engine cooling: Exhaust system: Emission control: Catalytic convertor’ apply to the continuouse issue I’ve been having with my car. I was told it’s not affected but I believe it is. I have an oil leak somehow but its not leaking outside the car, there are no oil stains in the driveway. When the oil starts to get just a little low the car starts wanting to stall and doesn’t resolve when oil is put in . Days of not driving seems to resolve it. There have been burning smells and white smoke. This has been happening frequently for years and we get regular oil changes at the Kia Dealership. I’m afraid if one of the recalls is actually the cause that we could be affected by it while we’re being told our VIN isn’t included in the recall
Engine, Oct 3, 2023
Currently on 2015 Kia Soul the A/C Heat Exchanger as well as radiator behind it have lost the heat exchanger fin materials between the fluid conducting pipes. This is causing an over pressure condition in the A/C for the car and causing car to run hot and also potentially damage radiator behind it. The radiator is also suffering same issue where exchanger materials between fluid pipes is falling out. I have video of A/C exchanger and if you look closely, you can also see the radiator is suffering similar heat fin materials loss. This is across the exchanger from one side to the other. This is what I would call a manufacturing defect/failure of the exchanger due to poor manufacturing processes. This is not limited to my 2015 Kia soul (96K miles) as my son has a 2016 Kia soul and is starting to see same issue happen with only 49K on car. I have video of his heat exchanger as well.