2016 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 821 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 29 involved a crash and 35 involved a fire. 25 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
Representative owner complaints: engine and engine cooling
106 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine warning light illuminated and was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ECU update was not enough to repair the vehicle. The dealer recommended that the fuel injector be replaced. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who confirmed that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. After further diagnostic testing, it was determined that there was no compression in cylinder #3 and the piston ring was blown. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer to check the electrical connections. The dealer offered to attach a used ECU. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, failed to accelerate, and stalled. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact pulled over and checked the oil level. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the pistons were not operating correctly. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the engine. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was referred to the manufacturer who later referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 3, 2024
The contact called on behalf of a consumer who owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over and allowed the vehicle to cool down for several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and attempting to accelerate, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle; however, the engine failed to turn over. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the Knock Sensor repair not being performed. The contact stated that the notice was sent to the incorrect address and the repair was not performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact waited approximately 30-minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle started but lost power immediately thereafter. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed. The contact was informed that the engine was consuming one quart of engine oil per 150 miles driven. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon servicing the vehicle, he became aware that the vehicle was abnormally low on oil, considering that he had previously performed an oil change within 4,000 miles. The contact also stated that he observed oil pooling underneath the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and after an oil consumption test, it was determined that the engine was consuming 1-quart of oil every 1,000 miles, placing the vehicle well below the recommended oil change interval of every 6,500 miles. The dealer also diagnosed a failure with the oil gasket. The contact was informed that due to the failures, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving out of the parking lot of an airport, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the catalytic converters needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the torque converters were replaced three different times. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 2, 2024
Engine start failing becoause of the catalytic converter issues.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer in 2022 for a Warranty upgrade on the catalytic converter. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, but the failure occurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 91,283.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who observed that the engine was knocking, and diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 161,000.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 4, 2024
The contact’s son owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shifted into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the knock sensor warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed and cleared the LIMP Mode status for the vehicle to be driven to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle, and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that knock sensor warning light became illuminated again and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to piston damage. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) as a possible solution; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,667.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that after turning on the vehicle and shifting into reverse, the vehicle turned off independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the Knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine service and the contact was informed to take the vehicle to a local dealer due to the vehicle having an engine knock. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated again, and the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Mar 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contacted stated that the check engine warning light illuminated; and the contact's parents took the vehicle to the dealer where it was repaired; however, the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence and the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a catalytic converter failure. The contact found info of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact received an unknown recall notice for piston rings and engine rod bearing failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle failed to start 3 months later. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to shake, after which the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the catalytic convertor. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the catalytic convertor had failed. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that oil was leaking into the catalytic converter. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed after two weeks. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 147,360.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 70 MPH. The contact was able to pull the vehicle to the shoulder of the road, where the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart, but the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 107,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle shuddered and stalled while accelerating. The transmission also shifted hard, and the vehicle shook abnormally. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filter, cooling system, and air cleaner needed to be serviced. The ECU update was completed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the vehicle was consuming an abnormal amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who removed the muffler and catalytic converter, due to engine damage. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed there was no warranty or recall coverage for the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the contact to the local dealer for a goodwill repair. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was making a rattling noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the catalytic converter and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the remedy for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) had failed to prevent the failure. The engine was replaced but the catalytic converter was not replaced due to the vehicle being out of warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 90,800.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a ratting sound coming from under the hood. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud popping or banging sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering was inoperable however, the braking system was functional. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle off the roadway; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.