I can not gain speed. The dealership says it’s the catalytic converter and there is an active recall for this on Kia souls. They previously did recall work to my car but now the catalytic converters not showing as a recall
2016 Kia Soul
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Soul years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul are substantially higher than the model-year median of 225.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Soul years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
362 reports with mileage · 448 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 555 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 83 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
56 reportsThe Instrument Cluster, the Speedometer and "NOW" the Odometer are not working--absolutely dead. "NOW" is in caps because to my surprise I noticed just recently that the Odometer is not working. In April 2021, after several weeks of waiting for the repairs to be finished, a Kia dealer, PEAK KIA in Colorado replaced the Instrum…
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The Instrument Cluster, the Speedometer and "NOW" the Odometer are not working--absolutely dead. "NOW" is in caps because to my surprise I noticed just recently that the Odometer is not working. In April 2021, after several weeks of waiting for the repairs to be finished, a Kia dealer, PEAK KIA in Colorado replaced the Instrument Cluster because of the faulty Speedometer. (This repair was done after several months of back and forth to more than one Kia Dealer about this problem. Unlike now where the Speedometer is dead, not moving at all, at that time it would stop working periodically, perhaps when my car was cold or not. It took several months of dealing with Kia dealerships to acknowledge that it was a problem.) Right after the replacement in 2021, I texted the PEAK KIA mechanics-representative, named Trevor, that it was still a problem, not working every now and then. He replied in a text "What?" and that he would check with his technician. He never got back to me with an answer, and would not return my phone calls.) Since that time, I've been dealing with this infrequent or sometimes-problem. Note, I work from home so I do not drive my car every day, only once or twice a week. However, just recently before and around the holidays, I noticed first that the Speedometer was dead, the needle was not moving at all during the entire time of driving, instead of every now and then. And closer to the holidays, I was shocked, noticing that the Odometer was NOW not moving. This had never been the case before. To date, I only have a Powertrain Warranty(?) left that expires in December 2028. I called Kia, the manufacturer, the other day and reported the above information. They said too bad, they will not cover it because the warranty for that 2021 repair expired 12 months after the repair, something I did not know. My concern is whether the Kia Dealer, Arapahoe Kia--where I usually go , will or should cover it. Plus, I feel this is a serious safety issue.
When the steering wheel tilt is adjusted while driving, the vehicle experiences a complete electrical shutdown — dashboard goes black and the engine may shut off. Electrical power may return when the steering wheel position is changed again. Because this involves a total loss of power while the vehicle is in motion, I am concer…
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When the steering wheel tilt is adjusted while driving, the vehicle experiences a complete electrical shutdown — dashboard goes black and the engine may shut off. Electrical power may return when the steering wheel position is changed again. Because this involves a total loss of power while the vehicle is in motion, I am concerned about driver safety and would like this addressed as soon as possible.
I was driving in the carpool line to Anaheim with my daughter, the car starts pulling and make a noise in the front part and start loosing speed, from 75 miles per hour to 40 miles per hours in 2 minutes. I drove to the safety zone but in high risk to a crash. All the sensor lights on in the front part. And the steering feels h…
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I was driving in the carpool line to Anaheim with my daughter, the car starts pulling and make a noise in the front part and start loosing speed, from 75 miles per hour to 40 miles per hours in 2 minutes. I drove to the safety zone but in high risk to a crash. All the sensor lights on in the front part. And the steering feels hard, no movement. We feel so stressed and unsafe. The police officer help us and The 511 towing help this was on October 16th. We pay $830 dlls to the AAA to bring the car to San Diego.
Inhibitor Switch has to be replaced. 2017 vehicles had a recall, dealership wants 747.00 to fix same when a recall for same a year later?
While driving my 2016 Kia Soul Plus on the highway, smoke began coming from the rear of the vehicle. Within seconds, flames were visible. Other drivers flagged me down, and I was able to pull over. I evacuated three dogs from the car, but the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames and was a total loss. The fire department re…
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While driving my 2016 Kia Soul Plus on the highway, smoke began coming from the rear of the vehicle. Within seconds, flames were visible. Other drivers flagged me down, and I was able to pull over. I evacuated three dogs from the car, but the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames and was a total loss. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. There were no warning lights or unusual performance issues immediately before the fire started. The vehicle had not been modified and was in regular use. This incident posed a severe risk to my safety, the safety of my pets, and others on the road. My VIN currently shows no active recalls, but Kia has issued recalls for engine and electrical fire risks in other Soul models. The fire appears related to engine, electrical, or fuel system malfunction. I strongly believe this defect should be investigated for inclusion in Kia’s fire-related recalls.
Unknown
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle wa…
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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was accelerating, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was provided with DTC: P0014 and P0013. The contact stated that the check engine light was turned off, and the camshaft was replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn had failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000(Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
The battery on this vehicle is absolutely worthless. If tales 8 hours to charge and on a full charge it will get 37 miles. The dealership refuses to replace it and the I owe over 10k on the vehicle.
I have a 2016 Kia soul. Second owner. 144,000+ miles. For nearly a year my car has been consuming oil at an alarming rate. But I have no oil leaks anywhere. My dealership did an oil consumption test about 5-6 months ago and within 1000 miles, I was already below the half way line on my dipstick but the dealership told me I was s…
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I have a 2016 Kia soul. Second owner. 144,000+ miles. For nearly a year my car has been consuming oil at an alarming rate. But I have no oil leaks anywhere. My dealership did an oil consumption test about 5-6 months ago and within 1000 miles, I was already below the half way line on my dipstick but the dealership told me I was still in range and sent me on my way. Fast forward a few months and I brought up my concerns again with my dealership and the oil consumption. I was told to drive it until the engine seizes and they would tow me. At which point, I told them that sounded dangerous but apparently Kia will not do anything for my vehicle if all it is doing is consuming oil. July 26, I’m out of town about two hours + from home and out of nowhere my car starts idling high. Failing to shift gears. If I go to speed up past 60mph, the car forcibly bogs down to 45mph and struggles to get back up to speed. The vehicle was shaking, knocking, and struggling with performance. I drove the car to a small town and checked my oil. Bone dry. So I top it off with a couple quarts. I drove the car to a non Kia dealership where a mechanic told me my car was misfiring. He popped the hood and for the first time, my engine was knocking back and forth. It’s never done that. He said that he felt confident there was rod damage and drove it around the block. When he returned he said it was not safe to drive and I had it towed to the closest dealership over an hour away. The dealership felt extremely confident that my car was going to qualify for the motor swap warranty that Kia offers up to 150,000 miles or 15 years. Keep in mind, my car NEVER once threw a check engine light during any of these occurrences, nor did a low oil light ever come on in the 4 years I owned the vehicle. My vehicle has been down 3 weeks and still has not been fixed from Kia.
Official recalls
219V120000 · Engine; Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor
Feb 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
17V608000 · Steering
Sep 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA21003 · Engine Fires
Opened Dec 22, 2021 · Closed Feb 5, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles. During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types. The remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement. Additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modification known as Knock Sensor Detection Software (KSDS) which is intended to detect impending engine failure, alert the driver, and limit engine power (to lessen likelihood of engine failure).KSDS is being installed under recalls and non-safety field actions, and both companies have extended limited engine warranties (see recall files). On December 22, 2021, ODI upgraded PE19-003 and PE19-004 to this Engineering Analysis (EA21-003, covering both Hyundai and Kia) to evaluate the scope of the prior recalls related to engine failures/fires and the efficacy of the recall remedies for the recalls, as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia. The former issue involved approximately 550,000 MY 2013 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2011 Kia Sorento, and MY 2012-2015 Kia Rio. The latter issue involved approximately 2.5 million recalled vehicles, which have been identified as displaying potential remedy concerns: Hyundai recalls 15V-568, 17V-226, 20V-746, and 21V-727; and Kia recalls 17V-224, 19V-120, 20V-750, and 21V-844. Regarding the recall scope issue, among all of the scope vehicles identified at EA opening, ODI found only the MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with both the Theta II 2.4L 4-cylinder Multi-Point Injection (MPI) and the Lambda II 3.5L 6-cylinder MPI engines experienced relatively high rates of reported fires. In December 2023, Kia issued recall 23V-877 that will cover about 80,000 MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with the Theta II 2.4L MPI engines. The remedy will involve an inspection, and if necessary, a replacement of the engine, as well as the installation of KSDS. It should be noted that in 2021 these vehicles were included in a KSDS product improvement campaign with warranty extension. For the MY 2011 Sorento vehicles equipped with the Lambda II 3.5L engines, ODI believes that future engine failures/fires involving these vehicles will likely be due to a lax in adhering to the proper or scheduled engine maintenance (regular engine oil changes), rather than a design or manufacturing engine issue. Regarding the issue of the efficacy of the recall remedies, ODI found the majority of the recalled Hyundai and Kia vehicles, by model, experienced lower reported fire rates after the remedies were applied. Furthermore, ODI found that for most vehicles that did not receive the recall remedies, by model, experienced relatively high fire rates. To address this problem, Hyundai informed ODI in December 2023, that it will renotify all of its owners covered by the Hyundai recalls of engine failures/fires every 8 months for the next 3 years. In December 2023, Kia stated that it will renotify the majority of its owners every 8 months for the next 3 years.Several previously recalled Kia models are excluded from the renotification due to their lower reported rates of engine fires. Overall, the renotification actions will help to increase the recall completion rates, thus reduce the frequency of engine fires in the future. In view of the recall action being taken by Kia and renotification actions being taken by both Kia and Hyundai, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis. Also, both companies have been released from the 2020-iniated Consent Orders (Kia since November 2022 and Hyundai since November 2023). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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