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
821 reports, newest first.
Engine, Oct 20, 2021
My check engine light was continually going on and off for a month took it t get it check found out it was converter and their a recall for converter . Took to the Kia dealership with check engine light on to have this taken care they did only a reboot of the engine and light was off so I thought the problem was solve bit the very next day the light was back on went again to the check engine light and again they said it was the catalyst converter took it back to dealership and told their was no more recall on my vehicle I told them about the problem and recall they didn't fix and was told it cost me to do diagnostic test and I week to do that I told I can't be with out a car that long so it was nothing they can do I left and now my check engine light coming on more frequently I might have this fix myself I don't want more engine or worst but why should I pay when this was be taken of them I received a recall notice for same thing 2 days ago and they still won't fix it free of charge what going on and now what shall I do?
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 19, 2021
Driving along on highway, the vehicle struggles to go uphill. Loses acceleration and have difficulty revving to next gear. Brought the vehicle to dealer. Dealer states the catalytic converter is clogged. This is the third time in three years that this has happen. First time, I paid full price to replace because vehicle was out of its warranty. Second time, Kia did a good-faith repair, replaced catalytic for free. Now it is happening again. Oil consumption is high. Would have to top off oil after two gas fill-ups. The vehicle is regularly maintain with oil and filter changes. I seen many posts of owners with same vehicle having the same issues. Kia dealer wants to charge $2600 to replace converter. They also suggests an oil consumption test that will cost around $500+. Never have any warnings that the oil is low. If I was not diligent in checking my oil levels, I could be driving the vehicle with no oil and potentially damaging the engine or worse a fire will break out. This vehicle needs to be recalled.
Engine, Oct 7, 2021
The component that has failed on this vehicle is the catalytic converter. Two weeks before taking the vehicle in, I noticed that the check engine indicator light was on. As of this writing, the vehicle was taken into Car town Kia ( Oct. 6, 2021) for inspection and computer upgrade but vehicle was not fixed to solve the problem. There was a recall for this particular item but the vehicle still was not fixed. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion, damage to the engine's pistons, and possible piston connecting rod failure but yet, the vehicle has not been fixed. I am afraid that this vehicle will probably catch fire while I am driving it while family members are in the vehicle. I believe my safety as well as the general public can/could be jeopardized if the vehicle were to catch fire. I have no actual confirmation that the vehicle was actually inspected. Kia service managers take no responsibility for the matter and I have been told to resolve the complaint with KIA general management. This issue is a safety hazard and there have been many instances of these vehicles electrical/engine components catching fire while someone is driving.
Firerelated, Oct 5, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 25 - 30 mph, there was smoke coming from the engine. The contact's daughter pulled over and exited the vehicle. The vehicle then caught on fire. The police and fire department was called, and the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. No medical attention was received. No injury was sustained. The vehicle remained at the scene of the failure and was not towed. The insurance company had not deemed the vehicle totaled. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Engine, Oct 4, 2021
My soul is having same problems as others with catalytic converter and engine. Had to replace throttle body that showed bad code to pass inspection. Turned out to be a needed software update to computer not bad throttle body. I'm out $600. Now getting p0420 code. Car stall out around 9/22/21. Another software update given on 10/2/21. Reset, still getting code. Car is also losing oil with no sign of leak. Possibly causing code. Damage may already be done to engine. Telling me I have to pay for repairs if needed.
Engine, Sep 30, 2021
Was told by my dealership where I bought the car new. That there have been issues with them burning oil. I checked the oil dip stick and showed no oil and called them and that's what they told me. I was never told or received any kind of notice about this issue
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Sep 20, 2021
My Kia Soul's engine failed when we were exiting the highway. The car started making awful grinding sounds and went into "limp mode." When I tried to restart the vehicle, the oil lamp and check engine lamp illuminated. The car had shown NO issues the entire day and I had put oil in it earlier that morning because I noticed it was low (I try to check the oil every time I get gas). I had my partner and our dogs in the car with us and had to walk down the highway to the gas station to call somebody since we didn't have service. It was also 110 degrees outside, so the car failing put us in a pretty dangerous situation. We had JUST gotten the recall notice for the vehicle's engine a week before (it looked like it had gotten lost in the mail) and had called around to the Kia Dealerships in the area and none could see us for over a month, which was a problem because we were going to be moving back to the PNW from Death Valley (we had to relocate because I was laid off due to COVID) in less than a month. The closest dealerships were also 100+ miles away. We towed the car with us to WA and got it into a dealership ASAP and they confirmed that the engine had a knock, but Kia refused to fix the issue, stating that because the Knock Sensor Detection Software hadn't been installed, it was not under warranty. The car got serviced at least once every 4 months (I have service records), and I would check and fill the engine oil regularly because the car would burn through it like crazy.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Sep 20, 2021
When switching from AC to heat, moisture starts spraying from vents, rapidly dripping on floor and completely fogging up windows causing zero visibility. I was forced to pull off roadway for fear of a collision. It then takes at least ten minutes for the moisture to stop and the windows to clear. This happened a year ago at the same time when the weather is changing from warm days using the ac and then using the heat on cold mornings. The dealership charged me to replace the cabin air filter which did not fix the problem. I have seen this complaint by other KIA Soul owners on a number of public internet sites.
Power train, Engine, Sep 18, 2021
Catalytic converter, recall SC176? Have issues with code: p0420, replaced the Catalytic converter once and code appears again with engine light on, Kia dealership says they won't perform recall since car is slightly over 80,000. Also oil is constantly running out, not noticing a leak on the ground so must be burning away?
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Sep 13, 2021, fire
On Monday September 6, 2021 at about 11:30 pm, I was driving home east on interstate 90, just east of Roselle rd. near Schaumburg, Illinois. When the car began to violently shake. The dash board lights began to flash and the engine just stopped. We managed to steer the car to the side of the express way, in an attempt to restart the car with no luck. A Illinois Dept. of Transportation road side assistance driver tried to start the car when the car explored into fire, the driver put the fire out and provided us with the number of a toe truck , which we had the car toed to the Schaumburg Kia Dealer, located at 1100 East Golf Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173, phone No. is (847) 908-0502, where the dealer is trying to determine the cause of the fire and the amount of damage, if the car is a total loss or not. My car is a 2016 Kia Soul. At this point I have not heard from the dealer after a week, I have called the dealer several times with no reply at all.
Engine, Sep 13, 2021
After having my oil and filter changed at jiffy lube in approximately 3 weeks my oil light came on. Had to add 3 quarts. Have had to add 1 quart every 400 miles since. Never had to add oil before the last change. No signs of leak/burning etc. Making an appointment with Kia dealer to investigate - also having them perform the WCU upgrade related to Kia Product Improvement Campaign dated 8/20/20. I was never notified. I have read a number of complaints and quite a few are related to both oil and knock sensor issues. I will update after visit to Kia Dealer.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact then discovered that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called a dealer and scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle serviced. A few days after the appointment was made, the vehicle shut-off without warning while driving at 45 MPH. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle would not accelerate or shift out of first gear. The contact called the dealer and she was instructed to bring in the vehicle to have the recall service. A few days later, the contact was informed by the dealer that the resonator had become defective and was not covered under the recall; therefore, she had to pay for the resonator replacement. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and agreed with the diagnostic result from the dealer. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 9, 2021
My newly permitted driver was driving when after crossing highway my car all of sudden was halted to an almost complete stop. the motor stalled in the middle of the highway, thankfully no oncoming traffic was coming. I took the vehicle to mechanic and they said i could have a recall on catalytic converter, called dealership and they state that my car was not in the recall. However my car did exactly what the recall states. now i'm looking at anywhere from 2000-3000 to fix my car is only 5 years old with 75,000 miles. I'm a very dissapointed customer as i was looking to purchase the new telluride however I think I will stay clear from all Kia Products. Concerned Customer LA
Exterior lighting, Interior lighting, Sep 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the headlights would intermittently fail to illuminate without warning. The contact made repeated attempts to adjust her headlights to no avail. Due to the failure, the contact stated that another vehicle in the opposite lane had attempted to pass the vehicle ahead. The other driver assumed that there was no vehicle in her lane of traffic and the contact was forced off the road to avoid a head-on collision with the other vehicle. The contact did not lose control of the vehicle and was able to resume normal driving. The contact also stated that the interior and dashboard lights would intermittently flicker on and off without warning. The dealer was notified, and the contact was informed that she had to pay a diagnostic fee to determine the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed. The failure mileage was 52,080.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 2, 2021
Three issues: 1) Upon stepping on the gas from a stop, the car often takes 4 or more seconds to actually move. This more than once has gotten me almost hit in the back by the other cars. 2) The car often makes "tractor noises" that are extremely loud and annoying. 3) The mechanic at the shop I took it to said that there's a crazy amount of oil going though the exhaust system. This could result in hat accumulation in the engine and jam it up (at best) or actually lead to a spontaneous fire. I am afraid of getting stranded so I haven't been driving very much. The KIA dealership said that there's nothing they can do. are you kidding me?
Exterior lighting, Sep 2, 2021
Low-beams will not turn on in any position, while the high-beams continue to function. I was able to use the high-beams to get me home but not having access to low-beams is dangerous.
Engine, Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine started knocking. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Engine, Aug 25, 2021
On/around August 13, 2021 I went to get an oil change and Safety recall performed for the 1.6L engines to protect it from excessive connecting rod bearing damage at a Kia Dealer. It was performed in the AM drove it pretty much all day. the next morning 8.14.21 in the AM drove it for roughly 1hr parked then decided to move the car out of the sun the car would not start. I could put it in the ACC and ON positions to work the radio and windows etc. but it would not start. I was there for 1.5 hrs. then I tried the car again and it started as if nothing was wrong. I drove it for 1 week no issues, then on 08.21.21 I was waiting at a red light when the light turned green I could not move as the car shut down with no warning or warning lights. I put the car in park and then tried turning on the vehicle again it started no issues, I was nervous and scared because we, my daughter and I, were at a very busy intersection not knowing if the car was going to start again. On 08.22.21 I tried starting the car and it took a while for it start as well but started. On 08.23.21 I called the KIA dealer and let them know what happened and took it to them on 8.24.21 in the AM. They were not able to replicate the problem but adjusted the values and said that there were no shut off codes indicated and that was a good sign. I was able to drive it all morning then at 3:15pm it would not start then at around 4:45pm I tried it again and the car started. When it started the stability control light was on and pressing the button to turn it off would not turn it off. I drove it about 5 minutes parked it turned the car off, when I started the car again the stability control light did not come on. I drove it around for a little then called a different KIA dealer and explained the situation so I dropped the vehicle off to the dealer on 8.24.21 in the overnight drop where it currently is where they are charging 139 dollars to diagnose the problem the car has approx 162329 miles
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 18, 2021
The lights flickered and I lost both head lights. Head light bulbs keep going out randomly. Sometimes both at the same time. I have replaced them 4 times this year.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 16, 2021
My vehicle has a check engine light on. In an attempt to repair the code was identified as a catalytic converter failure. My engine is burning oil excessively now. The costs are far beyond my means to repair despite meticulous maintenance.
Engine, Aug 11, 2021
My husband was exiting the highway when the engine began to sputter and then "explode" into a cloud of smoke from the engine and tail pipe. There was a oil smell. The car was towed to the local Firestone where my husband was told the engine now has a hole in it. Just a few months ago the engine was worked on because one of the cylinders had frozen. Recalls were taken care of prior to our moving to Dallas from San Antonio. If there were more needed, we received no notification despite having service done on this vehicle several times over the past year. My husband could have been on the highway when the engine blew and ended up in a major accident. There were no warning lights to indicate the car had a problem before it blew.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 3, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the contact slowed down then merged into another lane when the vehicle decelerated inadvertently and would not accelerate above 2 mph. Another vehicle crashed into the middle of the front and rear passenger’s side door frames of the vehicle, which caused the doors to not be able to open. No medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer Spradley Kia (2145 HWY 50 West, Pueblo, CO 81008) and a product improvement campaign and ECU software update was performed however, the failure recurred. The contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the dealer Spradley Kia did not perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that previous vehicle owner had not taken the vehicle in for the recall repair. The manufacturer offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 122,698.
Other or unspecified, Aug 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle began to jerk upon depression on the accelerator pedal as the check engine warning light. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle home. Upon startup of the vehicle the next day, the contact stated that an abnormal knocking sound was emitted from the engine. The contact called her independent mechanic who informed her that her vehicle may have been placed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) and referred her to a local dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer but was informed that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 61,056.
Other or unspecified, Aug 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate above 5 mph and would stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.