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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.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

47 reports
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75,000 miles · May 6, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. All of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. All of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI #11736143

Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The message that the engine was overheating warning was flashing on the instrument panel with an audible chime. The contact pulled over but was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was …

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The message that the engine was overheating warning was flashing on the instrument panel with an audible chime. The contact pulled over but was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and was advised by the dealer that the engine failure was not related to the recall, and the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11726474

134,431 miles · Mar 23, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle idled abnormally rough, and the engine was pulsing. The oil level was checked and was noticeably low. The contact…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle idled abnormally rough, and the engine was pulsing. The oil level was checked and was noticeably low. The contact added oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to Precision Auto Care for an oil change. The contact was informed that the oil level was low. The contact informed the technician that the oil had been recently topped off. The contact was informed of the excessive oil consumption. The contact was provided with information on NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced or repaired before the recall repair could be performed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. In addition, the contact was informed that the vehicle had to be repaired before the recall repair was performed. The failure mileage was approximately 134,431.

NHTSA ODI #11726314

150,000 miles · Jan 30, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. T…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was topping off the engine oil bi-weekly. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) for which the VIN was included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI #11714541

84,000 miles · Jan 23, 2026
EngineEngine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was running rough, and there was a significant amount of air and oil when the oil cap was opened. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was sluggish while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The wrench w…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was running rough, and there was a significant amount of air and oil when the oil cap was opened. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was sluggish while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The wrench warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, upon inspection, the dealer informed the contact that no repair was needed, and the recall was marked as completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was advised that there would be a charge for fuel sampling. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure was also associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ODI #11712920

136,000 miles · Jan 15, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle failed the inspection test for the recall. The contact was informed that the PNSS software was installed, and the check engine warning light was reset. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine failure was caused by the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI #11711272

136,000 miles · Jan 7, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost power. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence and then was towed to the dealer, who refused to repair the vehicle under recall bec…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost power. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence and then was towed to the dealer, who refused to repair the vehicle under recall because the vehicle had failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with the same information as the dealer. The failure mileage was 136,000.

NHTSA ODI #11709393

75,000 miles · Dec 10, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road as possible, and the vehicle was able to restart after an ex…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road as possible, and the vehicle was able to restart after an extended time. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that oil was added every two days to prevent the vehicle from stalling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the dealer deployed the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software on the vehicle; however, no further service was performed, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer should repair the vehicle; however, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had advised to deploy the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software and to only replace the engine if an abnormal sound was present. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI #11704179

Mileage unknown · Oct 17, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was making a grinding sound while the vehicle was being started. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine oil had to be changed every week. While receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine seemed to be defective, and the contact w…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was making a grinding sound while the vehicle was being started. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine oil had to be changed every week. While receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine seemed to be defective, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. While the vehicle was idling at a red light, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The contact shifted to park(P) and made two attempts to restart the vehicle before being able to continue driving. While decelerating to come to a stop at a red light, the vehicle stalled a second time. The contact shifted into park(P) and several attempts were made before the vehicle restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer who had installed the piston-ring noise-sensing system software and determined that the remedy was completed, and that the engine did not need to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the heck engine warning light had failed but had been repaired and should properly illuminate whenever needed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11694084

96,467 miles · Sep 23, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, several weeks later, the contact became aware that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was …

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, several weeks later, the contact became aware that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that further diagnostic tests were required to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,467.

NHTSA ODI #11689119

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.