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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.

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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.

28 crash reports35 fire reports17 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

105 reports
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85,000 miles · Jul 5, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle would shake and then loose power and slow down. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled of the roadway and turned the vehicle off and waited 20 minutes to restart the vehicle. The failure w…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle would shake and then loose power and slow down. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled of the roadway and turned the vehicle off and waited 20 minutes to restart the vehicle. The failure was recurring and the vehicle would hesitate while getting up to normal speeds. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic convertor was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V608000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #11472441

156,000 miles · Jul 5, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was smoke detected and the vehicle was making an abnormal popping sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed him that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehic…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was smoke detected and the vehicle was making an abnormal popping sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed him that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic where the engine was replaced. The manufacturer was notified; however, no additional assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

NHTSA ODI #11472332

102,000 miles · Jun 24, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the engine seized without warning. The contact initially had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact then discovered that his vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V12000…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the engine seized without warning. The contact initially had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact then discovered that his vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where he was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact contested that the vehicle should be repaired under the recall; the dealer then referred him to the manufacturer. The contact filed a claim with the manufacturer who later also informed him that the vehicle would not be covered under warranty. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI #11470885

144,000 miles · Jun 16, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a loss of performance with the engine, and the speed inadvertently decelerated to 5 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not repaired or diagnosed; however, the deal…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a loss of performance with the engine, and the speed inadvertently decelerated to 5 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not repaired or diagnosed; however, the dealer updated an unknown software. The contact also stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

NHTSA ODI #11469652

63,000 miles · Jun 10, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a defective catalytic converter. Upo…

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The contact's girlfriend owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a defective catalytic converter. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI #11468631

30,000 miles · Jun 3, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was overheating. Additionally, the contact stated he smelled a burning odor and gasoline odor while driving and upon starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Camp…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was overheating. Additionally, the contact stated he smelled a burning odor and gasoline odor while driving and upon starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer was notified of the failure. The dealer upgraded the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. However, the catalytic converter was not inspected nor replaced per the recall remedy notes that stated that the catalytic converter would also be replaced if the catalytic converter was damaged. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred increasingly on highland roads. The check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that they could not assist as the recall repair had already been completed. The contact stated that he later diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed using an OBD reader. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact they could not assist because the recall repair had been completed. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI #11467308

113,613 miles · May 23, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 113,613.

NHTSA ODI #11465759

82,000 miles · May 20, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 45 MPH, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine and the vehicle started shuddering. The vehicle then stalled. The contact’s daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact met his daughter at the scene and drove t…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 45 MPH, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine and the vehicle started shuddering. The vehicle then stalled. The contact’s daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact met his daughter at the scene and drove the vehicle back to his residence. However, the vehicle would not exceed 22 MPH. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would not assist as the contact failed to complete the repair for Technical Service Bulletin: PI2002B. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI #11465416

100,300 miles · May 9, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle overheated, lost acceleration, and lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engi…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle overheated, lost acceleration, and lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure and informed the contact that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was towed to a dealer. The dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was unable to repair the vehicle because the software warranty update was not completed. The contact stated that she did not receive the software warranty update information prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened however, the contact stated that the manufacturer declined responsibility to repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 100,300.

NHTSA ODI #11463947

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 19V1…

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling) for which the VIN was included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11462491

Official recalls

2

19V120000 · 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

1

EA21003 · 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.