Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1040–25K
1725–50K
1150–75K
1575–100K
10100–150K
3150K+
160 reports with mileage · 218 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 235 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 89 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports6 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
378 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2025
Engine
I have a certified pre owned 2020 Kia SOUL. It has roughly 29,000 miles on it. I have had 2 instances where the check engine light starts blinking with no warning and i have had to have the car towed. I have documentation that I keep up with oil changes. Each time it was towed, there was no oil. I have no quantitative evidence …
Read full complaint
I have a certified pre owned 2020 Kia SOUL. It has roughly 29,000 miles on it. I have had 2 instances where the check engine light starts blinking with no warning and i have had to have the car towed. I have documentation that I keep up with oil changes. Each time it was towed, there was no oil. I have no quantitative evidence to predict when the light will come on. The oil is burning off somewhere and was told to bring it to dealership. The code that the diagnostic showed was P1327. The oil was replaced and the light reset and I made an appt at KIA North Dealership for a diagnostic inspection. Unfortunately since the light was off and the oil was full, I was told they couldnt help me with the issue and I need to drive carefully for the light to come back on. I said that seems unsafe but they claim its the only way to diagnose the issue, which also costs 175$. I have been driving my car minimally as I am petrified I am going to break down and be in a dangerous area or on the highway. This seems like complete disregard for their customer and the publics welfare. I called KIA again after months of driving minimally to ask if there was any alternative as I feel like this should not be occurring with a car that is certified and "backed" bye KIA. The 5yr 60k warranty ends tomorrow 6/20/2025. The extended warranty is supposed to be until 3/21/2030 or 100k. I am not happy with the lack of empathy or their poor advisement. Also, I asked if I would be provided with a loaner car or reimbursed if the car will need work for an extended period. I was told their dealership has minimal loaners and if they don't have one, they dont have one. I asked if I would be reimbursed for the rental or rideshare apps I would need to use to get to work etc and was told there is no guarantee. I am disgusted with this whole situation. This whole policy seems dangerous and also reckless. The car was paid off, so now I am basically stuck with a car that I cant drive far.
NHTSA ODI #11667986
Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2025
Engine
While driving, the engine started to knock shortly before stalling. The car was restarted and then stalled again while to safely get it into a driveway. The check engine light did not come on until after the first stall (code P0014). As mentioned, these stalls occurred while driving at speed and on busy roads. The car was towed …
Read full complaint
While driving, the engine started to knock shortly before stalling. The car was restarted and then stalled again while to safely get it into a driveway. The check engine light did not come on until after the first stall (code P0014). As mentioned, these stalls occurred while driving at speed and on busy roads. The car was towed to a Kia dealership and found to have bad crankshaft bearings, requiring full engine replacement. Kia refuses to include this under a previous recall that admits engine damage could have resulted.
NHTSA ODI #11666469
33,000 miles · Jun 9, 2025
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side tire was making a metal scraping sound. In addition, the contact stated there was an abnormal chemical odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the sh…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side tire was making a metal scraping sound. In addition, the contact stated there was an abnormal chemical odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a stuck valve inside the ABS module, causing the passenger’s side front brake caliper piston to not function as intended, and a brake fluid leak. The hydraulic unit, brake fluid, Pad Kit Front Disk B, and Disk Front wheel Brake parts were replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
NHTSA ODI #11665690
Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
Someone broke my window, and entered my car. Then proceeded to tear apart the entire area of the car that it below the steering wheel including the ignition. The car was not able to be turned off. This left the car unable to be used and unfortunately needed to be towed away. This is the second time this has happened and it is ca…
Read full complaint
Someone broke my window, and entered my car. Then proceeded to tear apart the entire area of the car that it below the steering wheel including the ignition. The car was not able to be turned off. This left the car unable to be used and unfortunately needed to be towed away. This is the second time this has happened and it is causing a serious safety hazard to my family, my home and my neighborhood. I unfortunately cannot get rid of the car because I am not the title owner and cannot afford to trade it in. I am looking for some assistance and to learn what other options I may have
NHTSA ODI #11665493
Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2025
Engine
Car stalls constantly. Tires plus inspected and did diagnostic early March. Kia dealership inspected and did diagnostic recently
NHTSA ODI #11665187
Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2025
Power Train
Engine Knock and random engine shutoff, dealership filled apparent recalls: Changed piston rings, ECM Update, Update on ECM Logic, and unrelated update to anti-theft ignition protector. Recommends a entire engine replacement due to "internal failure" but failed to provide proof of damage or reasonable explanation of failure. …
Read full complaint
Engine Knock and random engine shutoff, dealership filled apparent recalls: Changed piston rings, ECM Update, Update on ECM Logic, and unrelated update to anti-theft ignition protector. Recommends a entire engine replacement due to "internal failure" but failed to provide proof of damage or reasonable explanation of failure. Presumably told would not be covered due to exceeding warranty by 2,975 miles, regardless of prior damage. Recall notice sent VIA mail days after visiting the dealership, visited May 23rd, 2025. KIA Failed to send notice within warranty mileage for damage recalls may have caused.
NHTSA ODI #11664878
Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2025
Structure
The pearl white paint is pealing. And chipping
NHTSA ODI #11664837
Mileage unknown · May 29, 2025
Engine
Rod bearing pop while driving on highway. Car stalls out. Only warning was oil light and battery light appearing. Rough idle and sluggish...sounds like it's going to blow .
NHTSA ODI #11663840
Mileage unknown · May 8, 2025
Engine
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed because the test used to check the piston rings was faulty. The vehicle was remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the m…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed because the test used to check the piston rings was faulty. The vehicle was remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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.
NHTSA ODI #11659806
Mileage unknown · Apr 28, 2025
Electrical SystemEngine
Hi, my name is [XXX] . I was driving my car two Thursdays ago. When all of a sudden my engine light came on. I stopped to see an auto place. If it was a problem hHi, my name is [XXX] . I was driving my car two Thursdays ago. When all of a sudden my engine light came on. I stopped to see at an auto place. If it was a problem he t…
Read full complaint
Hi, my name is [XXX] . I was driving my car two Thursdays ago. When all of a sudden my engine light came on. I stopped to see an auto place. If it was a problem hHi, my name is [XXX] . I was driving my car two Thursdays ago. When all of a sudden my engine light came on. I stopped to see at an auto place. If it was a problem he told me I could drive it as long as it wasn’t blinking if it started to blank, bring it immediately to a garage which I did had it towed people were telling me it was my camshaft, blah blah blah they found no oil leak no burning oil then I took it to a Kia dealer which I have paperwork. They worked on the car. They said my battery was at 15% which I didn’t even get a light to say my battery was low nor did it tell me that there was a engine problem or there was no oil in my car until that one moment it happens so fast it ended up costing me a lot of money, IKEA and I want to know why this happened why my oil lights didn’t come on or anything and if these cars have problems at 130,000 miles when the dealer sells you this car he should warn you or if they found out later then they should have to send you a letter stating to have a checked, but I’ve gotten nothing. I just wanna know what I can do about this to make sure that my car is not gonna do it again or who do I contact to talk to about this problem? Thank you [XXX] [XXX] Or you can call me [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
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
DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
2020 Kia Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year