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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

810 reports
32,400 miles · May 13, 2018
EnginePower Train

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING WHILE DRIVING. THEN TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHILE GOING 45 AND ENGINE RED LINED THEN DIED. WOULD NOT RESTART.

NHTSA ODI #11093561

6,300 miles · Mar 22, 2018
Power TrainSteeringSuspension

LAST YEAR I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN I ENGAGED REVERSE RIGHT OR LEFT A GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. ALSO WHEN I WAS DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP OR IN A DIP A SQUEEKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE [KIA OF ORANGE,210 KATELLA AVE.,ORANGE,CA.92867, (714)453-3800], TWICE 5/6/2…

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LAST YEAR I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN I ENGAGED REVERSE RIGHT OR LEFT A GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. ALSO WHEN I WAS DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP OR IN A DIP A SQUEEKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE [KIA OF ORANGE,210 KATELLA AVE.,ORANGE,CA.92867, (714)453-3800], TWICE 5/6/2017 & 14/9/2017, BUT THEY COULDN'T OR DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. ON 1/26/2018 I CALLED KIA CORPORATE OFFICE IN IRVINE (800)333-4542 AND EXPLAINED TO "LORRE" THE PROBLEMS THAT MY CAR HAS AND THAT I TOOK IT TO KIA OF ORANGE WHICH THEY COULDN'T FIX IN ADDITION TO THEIR BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT I HAD ANYTIME I TOOK THE CAR FOR SERVICE. HER RESPONSE OVER THE PHONE AND WITH HER EMAILS WAS PATHETIC,IN DENIAL AND SUPPORTIVE FOR THE KIA OF ORANGE. I WILL NEVER BUY A KIA/JUNK AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #11080927

19,000 miles · Feb 15, 2018
Engine

MY CAR IS 2016, ITS 18 MONTHS OLD HAS 19K MILES AND THE ONLY THING DONE TO THE CAR WAS OIL CHANGES WHICH WERE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR. ON JAN 19, 2018 MY CAR STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING 45 MILES AN HOUR ON THE STREET. IT HAPPENED ON NW 36TH STREET GOING EAST IN MIAMI, FLORIDA ZIPCODE 33166 WHEN TOWED TO THE …

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MY CAR IS 2016, ITS 18 MONTHS OLD HAS 19K MILES AND THE ONLY THING DONE TO THE CAR WAS OIL CHANGES WHICH WERE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR. ON JAN 19, 2018 MY CAR STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING 45 MILES AN HOUR ON THE STREET. IT HAPPENED ON NW 36TH STREET GOING EAST IN MIAMI, FLORIDA ZIPCODE 33166 WHEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WAS TOLD ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY THE PISTON PUSH THE ROD BLOCK AND THE ENGINE LOCK UP. ITS STILL AT THE DEALER. ON MONDAY IT WILL BE A MONTH. AND EVEN THOUGH I AM DRIVING A RENTAL ( WHICH THE DEALER IS PAYING FOR) THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE CAR WILL BE FIXED. EVERYTHING IS UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS HOW CAN THIS MANUFACTURE BUILD CARS WHICH THEIR ENGINES LOCK UP AFTER LESS THAN 2 YEARS. THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING IN AN EXPRESSWAY. I AM BEYOND SCARED TO DRIVE THIS KIND OF CAR AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11073041

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

I EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT HESITATION WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR ISN'T DOWNSHIFTING CORRECTLY OR ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH FUEL IN ORDER TO PICK UP SPEED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE CAR CONTINUES TO …

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I EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT HESITATION WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR ISN'T DOWNSHIFTING CORRECTLY OR ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH FUEL IN ORDER TO PICK UP SPEED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE CAR CONTINUES TO INTERMITTENTLY HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENS IN ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ODI #11055101

9,283 miles · Dec 4, 2017
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WAS LOOSE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V608000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALL…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WAS LOOSE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V608000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (ALL STAR KIA OF BATON ROUGE, 5740 SIEGEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA 70809) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER FOR TWO WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT WANT TO VISIT A DEALER FURTHER AWAY FROM HER HOME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,283. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI #11052344

500 miles · Aug 24, 2017
Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAVENAUGH …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAVENAUGH KIA (LOCATED AT 3315 STADIUM BLVD, JONESBORO, AR 72404, (870) 802-4451) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

NHTSA ODI #11019289

12,000 miles · Jul 18, 2017
Unknown Or Other

KEY WILL GET STUCK IN IGNITION AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK AND ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE KEY AFTER TURNING KEY TO OFF POSITION. KEY WILL ALSO NOT TURN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED ON BOTH OCCASIONS. THE INABILITY TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016. THE INA…

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KEY WILL GET STUCK IN IGNITION AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK AND ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE KEY AFTER TURNING KEY TO OFF POSITION. KEY WILL ALSO NOT TURN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED ON BOTH OCCASIONS. THE INABILITY TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016. THE INABILITY TO TURN THE KEY TO START THE CAR HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 SEPARATE TIMES. MOST RECENTLY WAS SATURDAY, JULY 15, 2017 AND I WAS AT A HIKING TRAIL IN THE MOUNTAINS.

NHTSA ODI #11006209

30 miles · Jun 14, 2017
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (SPITZER KIA CLEVELAND 3414 BROOKPARK ROAD, CLEVELAND, OH 44134), BUT THE CAUSE OF TH…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (SPITZER KIA CLEVELAND 3414 BROOKPARK ROAD, CLEVELAND, OH 44134), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED RANDOMLY. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10995118

Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2017
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE IN HALF AND SOMEHOW STUCK ON. [XXX] WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT JUMPED OFF A THREE FOOT WALL, RAN THROUGH A WOODEN FENCE AND HIT THE BRICK WALL OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING. DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THE 2014 AND 2015 MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR BREAKING ACCELERATO…

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THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE IN HALF AND SOMEHOW STUCK ON. [XXX] WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT JUMPED OFF A THREE FOOT WALL, RAN THROUGH A WOODEN FENCE AND HIT THE BRICK WALL OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING. DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THE 2014 AND 2015 MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR BREAKING ACCELERATOR PEDALS, HOWEVER THE 2016 HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10994478

27,000 miles · May 2, 2017
Unknown Or Other

ALL INTERIOR WINDOWS FOGGED UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUTSIDE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE EARLY MORNING, MID TO LOW 60 DEGREE TEMPS, I PUT HEAT ON LOW FAN SPEED AND MID TEMP, INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO FOG UP AND WINDSHIELD STARTED TO FOG UP, I SWITCHED HEATER TO DEFOG AND IN A FEW SECONDS ALL WINDOWS FOGGED UP. I…

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ALL INTERIOR WINDOWS FOGGED UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUTSIDE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE EARLY MORNING, MID TO LOW 60 DEGREE TEMPS, I PUT HEAT ON LOW FAN SPEED AND MID TEMP, INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO FOG UP AND WINDSHIELD STARTED TO FOG UP, I SWITCHED HEATER TO DEFOG AND IN A FEW SECONDS ALL WINDOWS FOGGED UP. IT WAS DARK AND I WAS IN A ROUNDABOUT WITH TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME AND BEHIND ME. I OPENED ALL WINDOWS AND PUT DEFOG TO FULL SPEED AND AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE WAS THE WINDSHIELD DEFOGGED. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED POSSIBLE CLOGGED HEATER/AC BLOWER BOX, WHICH WAS REPORTED TO BE A SERVICE ISSUE AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I WAS ABOUT TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILY BEING IN THE VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE THAT WILL LEAD TO VEHICLE COLLISION WITH INJURY AND.OR FATALITIES.

NHTSA ODI #10983164

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.