Kia issued an interim recall on ([XXX]) for a potential battery fire: [XXX] It has been 10 months; I called Kia and they have no remedy and no ETA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
Unknown Or Other complaints
121 reportsThe PCP valve is coming apart causing the vehicle to lose oil. There is wet oil on the spark plugs. Oil is getting into the cylinders. The catalytic converter is clogged. The engine is having issues which I will find out more about soon. The car is still in the shop. I had to leave it 2.5 hours away and find a ride home because …
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The PCP valve is coming apart causing the vehicle to lose oil. There is wet oil on the spark plugs. Oil is getting into the cylinders. The catalytic converter is clogged. The engine is having issues which I will find out more about soon. The car is still in the shop. I had to leave it 2.5 hours away and find a ride home because the car would not accelerate over 40 mph on my way back from a trip. I almost got slammed into on a hill on the highway TWICE because the car would not speed up. It has been in the shop for this same issue three times. All three times it gave out on me on the highway. There was NO engine light or light on the dash any of the times it failed me, and there have never been any codes. This issue falls under the recall even though my VIN does not. At the current shop visit I have been told my catalytic converter and possibly engine must be replaced. I am already up to $650 in diagnostic fees for this shop visit and have spent over $800 the last two visits to the shop for this issue . This car is only EIGHT years old with just over 100,000 miles. I have included receipts from the last two visits. The car is still in the shop for the current visit. I will not be paying to replace the catalytic converter or engine. Kia needs to step in and do what is RIGHT.
Car is burning oil, catalytic converter is failing, engine is failing, as with several hundred thousand of this year, make and model, yet mine does not seem to be covered by the recall
Kia issued a safety recall for battery (thus is an all electric Sol) and we dropped it to the dealer for repair. Since then Kia has replaced the battery and updated software several times with no results. We continue to receive a battery warning and unable to charge the car. The car has been with the dealer multiple times for th…
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Kia issued a safety recall for battery (thus is an all electric Sol) and we dropped it to the dealer for repair. Since then Kia has replaced the battery and updated software several times with no results. We continue to receive a battery warning and unable to charge the car. The car has been with the dealer multiple times for the past 6 months. the most recent visit it is with them since Dec [XXX]. We are left in a situation with no car for our 16 year old as she is not allowed to drive the loaner car or any other rental . Continued follow up with Kia consumer affairs has provided no feedback and communication. The dealer has also indicated that there are several such cars at this dealer and others around the country. We need a solution immediately and need our car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Experiencing issues with the catalyst or catalyst converters. Misfire and codes as well as check engine light present
KIA SOLD ME A 2016 KIA SOUL THAT DOES NOT HAVE "IMMOBILIZER" SOFTWARE. KIA'S CHEEZEY SOLUTION IS A STEERING WHEEL LOCK. OF NOTE, HYUNDAI IS NOW OFFERING SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT INSTALL IMMOBILIZER FUNCTION. THOUGHT KIA AND HYUNDAI ARE ONE COMPANY. SO, I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT CAN EASILY BE STOLEN IF I PARK IT ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN MY L…
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KIA SOLD ME A 2016 KIA SOUL THAT DOES NOT HAVE "IMMOBILIZER" SOFTWARE. KIA'S CHEEZEY SOLUTION IS A STEERING WHEEL LOCK. OF NOTE, HYUNDAI IS NOW OFFERING SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT INSTALL IMMOBILIZER FUNCTION. THOUGHT KIA AND HYUNDAI ARE ONE COMPANY. SO, I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT CAN EASILY BE STOLEN IF I PARK IT ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN MY LOCKED GARAGE. THUS FAR, NO GOOD SOLUTION FROM KIA NOR FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY 2016 SOUL. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN GOOD FAITH WHICH NOW IS CRUMBLING.
Car has less than 89,000 miles on it. Both catalytic converters went out starting on July 2023. Contacted Kia. Brought it in the the dealership I bought it from. Kia denied the claim stating it's out of warranty. I bought the car little over a year ago. Kia will only fix the car if I pay $2400.00. Contacted Kia customer support.…
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Car has less than 89,000 miles on it. Both catalytic converters went out starting on July 2023. Contacted Kia. Brought it in the the dealership I bought it from. Kia denied the claim stating it's out of warranty. I bought the car little over a year ago. Kia will only fix the car if I pay $2400.00. Contacted Kia customer support. Was still denied. Every mechanic I spoke with said the cats should not have gone out. Contacted Kia again for a reconsideration. Have not heard back.
I have had a catalytic convert failure 3 times in 4 years. The first was repaired with the recall on may of 2019. It was replaced at a Kia dealership, with Kia parts. I had my vehicle at the dealership a month prior due to it not running correctly. The second replacement of the catalytic converter was on November of 2020. I was…
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I have had a catalytic convert failure 3 times in 4 years. The first was repaired with the recall on may of 2019. It was replaced at a Kia dealership, with Kia parts. I had my vehicle at the dealership a month prior due to it not running correctly. The second replacement of the catalytic converter was on November of 2020. I was driving on the interstate very early in the morning when my vehicle slowed to 15 mph, no warning lights came on. I had several other vehicles come very close to hitting me. I was able to exit the interstate which took a lengthy amount of time due to my vehicle slowly losing speed. When I was able to pull over to a safe spot my vehicle quit all together. I had it towed to the same Kia dealership. They looked it over and found the converter failed again. It was replaced with Kia parts. I have taken my vehicle in once again due to it stopped running while I was at work. The same dealership has found that for the 3rd time my catalytic converter has failed. I have also replaced all spark plugs and coil packs on this vehicle twice in less than a year due to it misfiring. My engine is also somehow burning oil exponentially. This leads me to believe there is something wrong with my vehicles engine. I also believe something is wrong with Kia parts that they only last a little over a year.
I have a 2016 Kia Soul with 1.6L engine. I am the 2nd owner. The previous owner got the knock sensor update but the catalytic converter still failed after the update. Now I have a flashing engine light and P1326 code along with the P40 code for faulty catalytic converter. There is a recall for 2016 Kia Soul engines but when I g…
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I have a 2016 Kia Soul with 1.6L engine. I am the 2nd owner. The previous owner got the knock sensor update but the catalytic converter still failed after the update. Now I have a flashing engine light and P1326 code along with the P40 code for faulty catalytic converter. There is a recall for 2016 Kia Soul engines but when I go to the Kia site and type in my VIN there is no recall showing for my VIN even though I own a 2016 Kia Soul. I think this is wrong and should be corrected. Also Kia keeps telling me that they won't fix my catalytic converter because it falls outside the 80k mile warranty. I am at 90k miles. Yet, the knock sensor was updated and there is currently a recall. The recall should supercede the warranty in this instance. Also I took the car in to have the Kia dealer diagnose my knocking engine and 1326 code. They are saying that even though my car isn't drivable and The engine is malfunctioning, because my car didn't fail the piston ring test I don't qualify for the engine recall repair. All of this is unfair. If my car is exhibiting all the signs that the engine is about to blow why do I have to drive my car until it actually does blow before something can be done? This is unsafe not only for me but others as well. Not to it's completely unfair to me as a consumer who purchased this car in good faith. Kia needs to update ALL Vin numbers instead of consumers having to find out the hard way that there is indeed a recall on their vehicle. Dealerships should be part of the process of updating the manufacturer of new owners information so that new owners can be notified of any recalls. It makes no sense that only the first owner gets information regardless if they still own the vehicle or not. Lastly I would like to reiterate; Kia telling people they have zero recalls on cars that ARE actually part of a recall is outright lying. Kia needs to post ALL recall information to their website regardless to if you input your VIN # By not doing this they Lie
The panoramic sunroof exploded while the vehicle was being driven. Thankfully the cover was closed so the glass did not fall down on the passenger of the vehicle.
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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