2021 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 234 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 12 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalFeb 17, 2025
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Campaign 25V099000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineApr 13, 2021
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
Campaign 21V259000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
180 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Apr 29, 2024
I was travelling on [XXX] in highland Indiana when my engine stopped powering my car and I heard knocking inside. I smelled like and saw smoke everywhere INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 2, 2024
Our vehicle is burning 1 to 2 quarts of oil every 1 thousand miles. They say this is normal but it seems excessive. I'm afraid the engine is going to die while driving it. This is dangerous and needs to be looked into. I'm not the only one with this issue.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 28, 2024
The vehicle experiences a complete loss of power when slowing to a stop before it powers off on its own. The car powers off while going down the road. The car experiences partial loss of power while on cruise control and the car will slow to nearly stopped. The immediate loss of power puts myself and others at risk as the car is now stopping unexpected on the highway. I have left numerous voicemails for service managers at the dealership it was purchased brand-new from 2 years ago. They have not reached out to me. I had an appointment at their dealership to have the car inspected to see if this was covered with my warranty and they explained my warranty was only 60k miles and my car is now at 65k miles. The car was shutting off and having power loss a week before the first indicator light came on, which was the engine light. The code pulled for that sensor was the P0171 sensor which measures air in the fuel system and it stated "bank 1 running lean". I have now taken the car to a local shop and they are advising there was no oil in the car and there are metal shards in the valves in the engine. Werner KIA is the only shop that has ever worked on my car or changed the oil and they have not advised me of any oil leaks at all.
Engine, Feb 8, 2024
My engine is completely gone! I’ve been having issues with my oil since I’ve got the car and when I check my oil it’s almost always empty it’s a oil leak in the car and it’s not leaking on the ground it’s going elsewhere! A lot of mechanics have told me the same thing! I get my oil change every time it’s required.
Engine, Visibility/wiper, Jan 16, 2024
Just driving to the Mall, when at a Red light the engine service started flashing...Next day took it to Jiffy Lube to have them check, and they said it's the Engine...
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 8, 2024
For years I have been experiencing the vehicle stalling, shutting off while driving, smelling oil burning and oil is disappearing which has me going to get an oil change every 1000 miles. Low oil light has never came on even when oil reservoir has been bone dry. My safety is jeopardized every time I drive this vehicle. This issue has been addressed to service center and they state according to Kia the excessive oil leak is “normal” and it’s not with any other vehicle. Also the service center does not know why oil is leaking or where oil is leaking which is a major concern. I no longer have free oil changes because I have used them all up due to multiple services for oil changes. Mind you I bought the car new in 2021.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Dec 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission and the engine had failed, and both needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 109,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 26, 2023
car is doing jerk moves and it stopped working when i was driving around 30 mph in a hospital area. Ive been told that car is burning oil since day one. The only ppl changing the oil is the kia dealer and i've been told to change the oil to get it fixed but i need to change the oil every 4k miles and car is brand new from 2021... I already been in dealer reporting that car needs engine replacement and they always say that car only need oil change. However, this month a person from that dealer told me that he changed many kia same model and asked me to call kia to get the engine replace, because the car is gonna get me kill. He doesnt want me to say his name but i will sue Kia if something happens to me.
Engine, Jul 26, 2023
Vehicle shuts off after being idle (stopped at a red light, stopped in traffic). It goes completely dead & will not turn back on for 5 minutes or so. I have had the car for 11 months & it is currently at the dealership having the engine replaced for the third time. Kia has diagnosed the problem as “low compression” in the engine but does not know why so their solution is replacing the engine whenever it starts stalling again.
Engine, Jul 8, 2023, fire
I was driving and car started to lose power,the service engine light came on less than a minute before the boom.l tried to speed up and then there was a big boom and it was loud, so I went to the shoulder of the road and the car stalled ,I tried to restart the car and it just engulfed into flames. The car is a total loss. That's all that was left was a metal shell.
Engine, Jul 6, 2023
While driving my kia soul 2021 it had a complete engine failure. Completely shut down!!!
Engine and engine cooling, May 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that after he purchased the vehicle, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the crank sensor was faulty. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was inspected and diagnosed that the drain plug gasket needed to be replaced and that every 1,000 miles a quart of oil needed to be added. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that he was concerned that he had to add a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Engine, Mar 7, 2023
Engine light was on , I was driving the turn off I take the car to Kia they’re fixed in December, now the is doing the same engine light on, I was driving the car turn off is the same problem the I have before,
Engine, Feb 22, 2023
2021 Kia Soul started making engine noises as it was being driven home. The next day while driving home there was a loud boom and total loss of power while driving. It coasted to a parking lot. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. We are now awaiting approval for total engine replacement via warranty. Vehicle has less than 50K miles. Oil changes were done with synthetic oil.
Engine, Feb 20, 2023
Car began sputtering in the middle of the road, all the symbols on the dash started lighting up. I went to make a turn and car stopped moving came to a sudden slow down and rolled to the side. I put it in park. It would not start and sputtered.
Engine, Feb 13, 2023
Turning left onto busy street, engine stopped, car stuck in incoming traffic lane, would not go momentarily.
Engine, Jan 30, 2023
On or approximately January 6, 2023 my 2021 Kia Soul with ISG technology began to display Check Engine Light. Took to AutoZone where they hooked to analyzer and came up with P0017 code. Notified local Kia dealership (Galeana in Columbia, SC) and was told could not get appointment until 01/24. Told if engine light no blinking could continue driving. No overt issues when driving at that time. Reset light by disconnecting negative battery terminal but immediately reappeared. On 01/19/23, engine began cutting out and running rough, turning off when brake applied. Was able to crawl home. Had towed into local dealership. Now told my "engine is bad" and that it has been escalated to "tech case" with KIA central. All maintenance up to date and no current recalls active. Noted that case very similar to those for which class action lawsuit was filed. This could have caused a real issue in traffic with it stalling at lights and ultimately stopping.
Engine, Jan 12, 2023
On 12/29/2022, the check engine light came while driving to work on my 2021 Kia (25k miles). I called the dealership right away and made an appointment for inspection the next day. At lunch time the same day, I got into my car and went through a local drive thru. On the way back, the vehicle stalled out WHILE driving. It stalled out repeatedly driving the 3 blocks to my office. Knowing the vehicle was unsafe, I had it towed to the dealership. The dealership has had my vehicle for two weeks. Changing all the emission parts, and tried to tell me I had no oil in the car (regular maintenance through them is up to date). Now they keep telling me, they are waiting for the Kia hotline to contact them. I do know this, the car was burning excessive oil. Parts of the engine were gunked up from this. Engine started stalling out. It's the exact description of the recalled 2021 Kia problems, yet they claim not mine it was not part of the recall. These engines are dangerous. Kia is doing NOTHING to resolve the issue.
Engine, Jan 7, 2023
On 12/28 at approximately 5:00 pm my vehicle shut off 2 times within a span of 30 minutes while I was driving it. It happened on approach to a highway. It was NOT the Stop-Start System. My car was moving while it happened. My car lost all power, and every warning indicator flashed in my dash and I even lost my power steering. I took my car to KIA and they categorized this as my car “stalling”, but I wouldn’t say that is accurate. My car’s computer seems to have malfunctioned or was hacked. Indeed KIA’s repair document shows that they performed a software update on my car to solve this. My car’s engine was certainly malfunctioning while driving on 12/28 after both events of losing all power to my car. It sounded like my engine was in the wrong gear after these events. I didn’t drive my car after that episode and KIA refused to tell me what was wrong after they “repaired it” and performed a software update. This article yesterday about KIA/other auto’s breached is unnerving. I don’t feel safe driving the car and wish I had the ability to cut off KIA’s API to my car while driving. They should only be allowed to perform software updates or access the car’s computer remotely while the car is stationary and the driver should be alerted that KIA or a third party is accessing the car’s computer and/or engine, etc. I just want to make sure if I get in a serious accident that this is on record. https://www.cyberscoop.com/car-hackers-vulnerabilities-research/
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 21, 2022
The engine is consuming increasingly high amounts of oil with no leaks, far surpassing the one quart per 1000 miles. Oil pressure lamp has illuminated on 1-2 occasions, only briefly, and shortly before I took it to the dealership. Unusual noises coming from the engine while accelerating and also after I stop. I had my oil changed 1 week ago, unusual noises have not improved. Currently awaiting inspection at the dealership for manufacturer warranty coverage for repair of this issue, but seems to have all the earmarks and the production date (9/20) that line up with the piston ring recall, though they say my vehicle is not covered by the recall.
Engine, Oct 10, 2022
I believe my specific vehicle should also be assigned the recall no. 21v259000. My vehicle experienced engine stall, loss of power and leaking oil onto hit components which could have resulted in fire. I was stalled and in traffic and could also have been in hit by another vehicle. The engine is now having to be replaced at the dealership. I am told my car is not part of the above mentioned recall even though the motor in my vehicle matches the motor on the recall.
Engine, Jul 9, 2022
good day my kia soul consumes excessive oil. I have noticed it since the last three oil changes and when you turn it on you can hear a slight knocking in the engine. I took it to the dealer but they demand a deposit of 300 dollars to check it and they do not guarantee original parts. I think it is unfair that they demand three hundred dollars to check it when my kia soul has 25,600 miles and has a guarantee and I demand that my guarantee be honored and my safety be guaranteed. thanks for your attention
Engine, Jun 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, May 23, 2022
I was driving into work and when I got off the expressway my car started rattling loudly. I finished my drive into work and parked the car. I asked a co worker to see if he could see if my muffler was still connected and he mentioned that the noise was coming from my engine. The two weeks previous to this my car would shut off if I slowed down or was pulling into a parking space. I just thought it was my auto shut off when the engine was on low idle.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 21, 2022
I am very concern with the 2021 KIA Soul that I drive presently. The vehicle is in my son’s name; however, I pay the monthly payments and I am the primary driver for this automobile; this is also listed on my insurance policy as well. I have been experiencing some dangerous mechanical conditions with the car. Please find a copy of my uploaded document summary. I have an appointment tomorrow, Tuesday, on March 22, 2022.