← New search

2021 Kia Soul

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected 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

65 reports with mileage · 167 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 132 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports3 fire reports4 injury reports

What owners actually said

232 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2026
Engine

Recall 25V099/SC336 was not performed on my vehicle when it was in the dealership. My vehicle is now disabled at Capitol Kia San Jose with complete engine failure. They are denying any responsibility and refusing repair coverage. I have written a formal letter to Kia Corporation requesting an immediate review of my vehicle. With…

Read full complaint

Recall 25V099/SC336 was not performed on my vehicle when it was in the dealership. My vehicle is now disabled at Capitol Kia San Jose with complete engine failure. They are denying any responsibility and refusing repair coverage. I have written a formal letter to Kia Corporation requesting an immediate review of my vehicle. With this being an NHTSA recall I am hoping to get some intervention somewhere regarding this situation.

NHTSA ODI #11763092

Mileage unknown · Sep 8, 2026
Engine

The check engine light came on in the car and within a few minutes while looking for a safe place the pull over there was a foul smell coming from the engine, followed by many error lights on the dash and the car losing the ability to accelerate and drive. The car had to be towed to a local repair shop who inspected the car and…

Read full complaint

The check engine light came on in the car and within a few minutes while looking for a safe place the pull over there was a foul smell coming from the engine, followed by many error lights on the dash and the car losing the ability to accelerate and drive. The car had to be towed to a local repair shop who inspected the car and found that the engine a thrown a rod through the engine block.

NHTSA ODI #11762913

188,000 miles · Sep 4, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehi…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.

NHTSA ODI #11762182

Mileage unknown · Sep 4, 2026
Engine

My kia soul has high oil consumption. When informed of the recall for the piston rings, I had First Team Kia look at it. They informed me that they didn't see anything wrong so they cleared the recall. They NEVER performed the oil consumption test. Within 3 weeks, I traveled over 800 miles, round trip, and upon my return home I …

Read full complaint

My kia soul has high oil consumption. When informed of the recall for the piston rings, I had First Team Kia look at it. They informed me that they didn't see anything wrong so they cleared the recall. They NEVER performed the oil consumption test. Within 3 weeks, I traveled over 800 miles, round trip, and upon my return home I had to put 4 qrts of oil back in my car. I took my car to Southern Auto. They performed the oil consumption test that revealed the car has high oil consumption, burning 3.5 qrts of oil within 1000 miles. This engine could freeze up at any given moment putting my life and many other lives at risk as I drive this car daily on the interstate for work. The dealer confirmed there is a high oil consumption. No one has inspected this vehicle because First Team cleared the recall without properly testing my vehicle for the said issue. No lights are on the dashboard but I an constantly topping off my oil atleast 1-2 times a week.

NHTSA ODI #11762118

215,000 miles · Aug 18, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the high oil consumption might cause a fire in the engine bay due to a failure with the piston rings. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the high oil consumption might cause a fire in the engine bay due to a failure with the piston rings. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as the possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the vehicle did not experience a specific failure, even though all the other issues the vehicle had experienced were listed in the recall notice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 215,000.

NHTSA ODI #11757683

109,000 miles · Aug 14, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but continued to stall each time the vehicle was stopped. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone for an unknown diagnostic test and then towed…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but continued to stall each time the vehicle was stopped. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone for an unknown diagnostic test and then towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was also towed to an independent mechanic and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, and it was determined that there was sludge inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

NHTSA ODI #11756957

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2026
Engine

My 2021 KIA Soul has a recall order for P1327 code which is the knocking noise from the piston ring. The KIA dealership in Idaho Falls is denying the recall order, claiming that it has to be from the upper chamber, not the lower chamber. Which is not stated in the recall letter. They have done everything to avoid this recall…

Read full complaint

My 2021 KIA Soul has a recall order for P1327 code which is the knocking noise from the piston ring. The KIA dealership in Idaho Falls is denying the recall order, claiming that it has to be from the upper chamber, not the lower chamber. Which is not stated in the recall letter. They have done everything to avoid this recall. I have evidence that they know the engine have all the symptoms of the piston ring, but trying to avoid everything to replace the engine. They even deny giving the part name that is causing the knocking noise and not giving me the diagnostic report. Even charging $6,000 for the engine replacement.

NHTSA ODI #11756376

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2026
EngineExterior LightingUnknown Or Other

My 2021 Kia Soul has stalled unexpectedly while being driven on multiple occasions. When the vehicle stalls, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses propulsion, creating a risk of a collision, particularly if it occurs in moving traffic. There have been no warning lights or messages before the vehicle stalls or when the stall…

Read full complaint

My 2021 Kia Soul has stalled unexpectedly while being driven on multiple occasions. When the vehicle stalls, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses propulsion, creating a risk of a collision, particularly if it occurs in moving traffic. There have been no warning lights or messages before the vehicle stalls or when the stalling occurs. The vehicle has severe engine oil consumption. After approximately 3,000 miles, the oil level can become so low that no oil is visible on the dipstick. I do not know whether the excessive oil consumption is causing the stalling, but I believe that to be the reason. I previously brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership while it was under warranty because of the oil-consumption problem. The dealership told me that the vehicle was probably leaking oil, that a part needed to be ordered, and that they would contact me when the part arrived. They never contacted me, and the problem was not resolved. I have since reported the repeated stalling and excessive oil consumption to Kia corporate. Kia instructed me to return the vehicle to the dealership for additional testing. I told Kia that I do not feel safe driving the vehicle approximately 40 minutes to the dealership because it has repeatedly stalled while being driven. I asked whether Kia would tow the vehicle, but Kia would not commit to providing a tow. I also asked Kia to put in writing its instruction that I should drive the vehicle to the dealership despite the reported stalling, and Kia declined. The vehicle remains available for inspection. The cause of the repeated stalling is most likely due to burning of excessive oil. I am concerned about an unexpected loss of propulsion occurring again while the vehicle is in traffic.

NHTSA ODI #11756001

65,000 miles · Aug 10, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI #11755927

102,261 miles · Aug 5, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be a…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be added to the engine after driving every 30 miles. Additionally, on one occasion while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled and failed to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,261.

NHTSA ODI #11755064

Official recalls

2

25V099000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical

Feb 17, 2025

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.

21V259000 · Engine

Apr 13, 2021

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

AQ25001 · Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness

Opened Aug 6, 2025 · Closed Dec 18, 2025

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical

On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a ‘cold’ engine to a ‘warm’ engine; 2) why the recall remedy was suspended from April 30, 2025 to May 7, 2025; 3) how Kia notified customers of the recall remedy suspension and the need to re-test engines that failed the ‘cold’ engine test; 4) the number of post-recall remedy complaints alleging engine or other engine related failures; and 5) the warranty coverage Kia is offering to vehicles that passed either inspection tests. On September 10, 2025, Kia responded to NHTSA’s IR: Kia reported the change in temperature from ‘cold’ to ‘warm’ engine testing was done to increase accuracy. The inspection test uses diagnostic tools that detects abnormal engine vibrations to identify damaged engines. From the initial launch of the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on April 4, 2025 through April 28, 2025, ‘cold’ engine testing resulted in a higher-than-expected failure rate when compared to the pre-recall warranty claim rate. This discrepancy led Kia to re-evaluate its inspection test and found that performing the inspection on a ‘cold’ engine can result in imprecise test results due to normal cold-start vibrations. Kia revised the inspection to ‘warm’ engine testing to minimize vibration interference. Kia sampled the field and performed a comparative analysis between ‘cold’ and ‘warm’ engine testing, and validated that ‘warm’ engine testing was more accurate in identifying damaged engines. Kia also reported the suspension of the recall remedy was due to a software error in the diagnostic tool, which was introduced in concert with the April 29, 2025 launch of the TSB that revised the inspection from ‘cold’ to ‘warm’ engine testing. The software error resulted in all inspection tests reporting false positives for a damaged engine. On April 30, 2025, Kia suspended the remedy until May 7, 2025, which was when the software error was corrected with the release of the latest TSB and software update. The recall remedy remains available to eligible customers. Kia reported owners were not mailed letters concerning the suspension to the recall remedy. Kia reasoned since it resolved the issue faster than it would have taken to draft and mail letters, Kia did not want to create unnecessary customer confusion involving an issue that would have already been addressed upon receipt of a letter. Kia also determined that mailing letters about re-testing engines was unnecessary since those vehicles were already at the dealer awaiting engine replacement. In most instances, Kia Customer Care agents would respond to customer inquiries related to the recall, including remedy availability, dealer issues, and questions about differing test results. Kia provided ODI a review of engine related consumer complaints received on post recall-remedied vehicles. Kia did not find any common patterns or trends related to those complaints following completion of the recall, as the complaints included issues that were unrelated to the subject defect. To aid in the diagnosis of whether a complaint is related to the recall, the remedy includes the installation of a software program, the Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS), that monitors the engine for unusual noise patterns (an indicator of potential damage to the piston oil rings), and alerts the customer by flashing the check engine light and setting Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1327. Kia confirmed that it is not offering any specific warranty coverage for this recall. Instead, Kia has instructed dealers to replace the engine, at no cost to the customer, with no time or mileage limitation, following the installation of the PNSS software and the presence of DTC P1327. On September 4, 2025, Kia issued Subsequent Repair Action (SRA) # SC336YZ, which provided engine diagnosis and replacement instructions for vehicles with a potentially related complaint following completion of the recall. Under this SRA, customers whose vehicles set DTC P1327 will have their engine replaced. If DTC P1327 is not set and it is unclear whether the issue is related to the recall, dealers are instructed to contact Kia's Technical Assistance Center to ensure the issue is appropriately handled. Kia notes that any issues determined to be unrelated to the recall are subject to the 10-year / 100,000-mile Powertrain warranty for original purchasers and a 5-year / 60,000-mile Limited Basic Warranty for subsequent purchasers. In summary, Kia identified the insufficiencies of its initial inspection test that led to a pause to its recall campaign, explained why it did not mail letters to affected customers about the paused campaign or revised inspection test, reviewed existing consumer complaints that did not identify any potential trends related to the recall, and identified its warranty coverage for any vehicles exhibiting qualifying engine symptoms. After review of Kia’s response to the IR, ODI has determined that no further action from Kia is necessary at this time, and ODI will close this AQ investigation accordingly. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.