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.
Engine & cooling
Kia Soul Engine problems by year
3,250 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Kia Soul's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
Engine complaints by model year
Engine recalls
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
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...
Latest Soul engine complaints
My 2018 Kia Soul is burning oil at a very fast rate. I am aware of an engine recall for this model and I need to have it looked at for this problem. I have been sometimes running on no oil in my engine, but unaware of it even though I have oil changes done on a very regular basis.
My car had cylinder 4 misfire and was shaking. 4 spark plugs had to be replaced.
This is a recall for the fuel sensor, obviously. I contacted Kia immediately to inspect the car but they are very slow to take any action and now the tow lot is getting ready to take ownership of the car and it will not be available after next week. Kia was negligent in meeting the reasonable deadline initially provided to them. I parked at a gas pump at a busy gas station across the street from a fireworks store. The car started smoking and then fire engulfed the entire engine compartment. It took a few minutes...
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for the fire department to get there, and my car burned at a gas pump presenting a significant danger to everyone in the vicinity. This car is part of a recall for the fuel sensor problem. Kia has refused to meet the tow lot's deadlines for inspection availability. There is a Sheriff's report available and 2 fire departments should have reports on it. My minimum liability insurance does not cover this kind of incident. There were no warning signs before the fire started other than a brief amount of smoke. The car was parked and turned off. Now Kia is saying they will not be able to compensate me for my losses because they waited too long to inspect the car. However, I provided them with videos of my car burning which would match exactly with the recall associated with this issue.
Authorized KIA dealer is refusing to execute an active safety recall (SC176) on this vehicle experiencing the exact engine failure described in the defect report. It is currently at Don Franklin KIA in Somerset, KY. Vehicle experienced complete loss of oil pressure from engine failure. Was towed to this dealership who stated the because the title is rebuilt because of unrelated cosmetic hail damage only, they would not perform the safety recall or the diagnostic testing because they feel the warranty is void...
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because of the cosmetic damage. Contacted KIA customer support who also states they would only perform safety recall or diagnostic testing if I paid out of pocket. This is a Kentucky Blue, rebuilt title related strictly to cosmetic hail damage only.
I own a 2017 Kia Soul with the 1.6L GDI engine (VIN [[redacted]]), approximately 84,000 miles. In [redacted] the check engine light came on, the engine began misfiring and running rough, and the vehicle lost power to the point it was unsafe to drive. A Kia dealer (Kia of Bedford, Bedford, OH) diagnosed the failure and reported that the cylinder 4 piston is severely damaged, requiring engine replacement. The vehicle has been out of service since [redacted]. This failure - piston damage on the 1.6L Gamma GDI engine -...
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matches the failure pattern covered by recall SC176 for this same engine in 2012-2016 Kia Soul models. My 2017 model year falls just outside that recall. No accident or injuries occurred. I have also opened a case with Kia Consumer Affairs (#[redacted]), which is pending INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that no trouble codes were found, and that a diagnostic test was needed. The contact was concerned that the vehicle was not repaired.
Since [redacted] our Kia Soul has been stalling and burning oil. It stalled out on a city street near me and had to be towed to the kia dealership where it is serviced. They said it was out of oil. We just had it serviced in [redacted] with complete oil and filter done. On research, we have learned this car burns oil and had a piston defect recall. At the time it was inspected they found no piston defect yet (NHTSA Recall 21V259000) They did the initial (PNSS) piston ring noise sensing system or vibration...
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test which was negative AT THAT TIME. I would like to request a Techline case to authorize an oil consumption test TSB SST082 since the car is stalling and burning oil and needs a quart every week or less. It is our only car and we need it for work and activities of daily living. We have had it serviced religiously at the dealer since purchase and can document each and every service done, the laste one in [redacted], where they did 4,000 in minor repairs and said we were driving it too much that;s why it ran out of oil. It puts my family's safety at risk. Please authorize an oil consumption test on our vehicle. Please note, we had our oil changed in [redacted], then again in [redacted] at the dealer after the stall out, then again in [redacted] when it went low again, and then continually we added our own oil from then until now, November, awaiting approval of an oil combustion test at John Stark Kia in [[redacted]], but they have been giving us the run around. The three uploads document oil changes. I also have credit card proof of purchase of motor oil over these 4 months. Also note, after towing to the dealer, they did 4,000 in minor repairs but did not address the engine issues. Just said we were driving too much. Thanks very much. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine stalled all lights came on On a 2020 Kia Soul GT, the "Gas Saver" (ISG) button disables the Idle Stop & Go system for that drive, but if the engine still cuts off at stops, it's likely a fault in the ISG or related electrical system - often a weak AGM battery or a failing Low-Voltage DC-to-DC Converter (LDC) module. Engine stopped at low speed 1mph and would not restart when gas peddle was pushed. Valve tapping noise from top of engine and engine stalling. New Battery installed and problem continued. Kia Soul GT 2020 Mileage 39947
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was taken to an alternate dealer. where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The manufacturer was made...
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aware of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that if DTC: P0420 was present, the repair would be covered. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
The 2025 Kia Soul auto engine shutoff feature for gas powered vehicles caused the engine to stall out and the vehicle to stop in an oncoming traffic lane. This occurred right when I was trying to depart from a stop sign at a busy intersection. Fortunately, the oncoming driver was able to narrowly avoid colliding with my vehicle by swerving around it. The oncoming driver was going at a rate of speed that had they chosen to use brakes rather than swerve, it could have been a fatal collision for me in this vehicle....
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The auto engine shutoff feature for gas engine Kia vehicles is noted by the Kia dealer to be a problem that can sometimes put the car in compromising positions. The feature has been inspected by the dealer, and the feature works as design intended. The only remedy that the Kia dealer service person offered was to tell me to purchase a $100+ bypass wiring harness that will cause the feature to always be turned off. The only acceptable remedy in my opinion would be for Kia to be held financially responsible to permanently disable the auto shutoff feature for my vehicle.
My vehicle was towed to the dealer to address a recall. Campaign 19V120/SC176. I advised them I had codes #300, 303 &304. I requested a compression test & documentation of the findings. They instead cleared the codes, addressed the ksds software update & declared the car "fixed". Upon leaving, the engine lost power (in traffic) & the check engine light returned. I limped the car back & again requested a compression test which they did not perform even after pulling codes of a "misfire". They pulled the plugs &...
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advised replacement as well as replacement of the coils for $1,200. I believe I'm entitled to knowing the health of the engine by means of a compression test & possible short block replacement if it's deemed necessary (per recall SC176)
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that prior to the dealer visit, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the dealer had not successfully completed the recall repair, because the check engine warning light remained illuminated when the vehicle was retrieved. The contact informed the dealer that the recall instructions...
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required a catalytic converter inspection and a diagnostic scan to read and clear the trouble codes; however, the dealer responded by claiming that the recall parameters only authorized a software update. The failure mileage was 230,000.
The Soul I bought from a Dealership with low miles has nothing wrong with it and I'm very good at maintaining my vehicle. I always check my oil and noticed almost within the first two months of owning that my oil was burning off with no leaks. Ive put a lot of miles on it (about 40K) but I go through a quart of oil every other time I top off my tank. I worked hard to buy this car out right with 60k miles. I love this car, but I know this problem will eventually cause engine failure. The cost to repair the pistons...
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will be more than the car is worth. I was told that this is a normal issue with Kia souls, (by the Kia dealership where I had work done. Two other shops as well). Why isn't it being addressed? I love my Kia soul and hate that this car is basically a lemon.
As the original owner of this 2016 Kia Soul (approx. 124,000 miles), I am filing this safety and consumer compliance complaint for severe engine failure and a failure of manufacturer recall notification systems. On [[redacted]], my vehicle experienced severe power loss on the highway and extreme oil consumption. An inspection by an independent repair facility revealed catastrophic engine failure due to piston ring degradation, severe crankcase blow-by, and oil contamination of the exhaust system. The repair shop...
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informed me that these symptoms directly align with known manufacturing defects covered under active safety recalls, specifically NHTSA Recall 19V-120 and the Hyundai/Kia Engine Litigation II settlement (No. 8-18-cv-0223-JLS-JDE, C.D. Cal), for which my VIN is a confirmed match. On [[redacted]], I brought the vehicle to VanDevere Kia of Akron for evaluation. Service associate Jackie Mundri informed me I was denied engine replacement coverage, with Kia claiming I waited "too long" to address the recalls. When I escalated this to Kia Consumer Affairs and spoke with a representative named Cassandra, I was told it was my personal responsibility to proactively check for recalls. I have never received any notification via mail, email, or telephone regarding Recall SC176 or any other engine campaign. Furthermore, within the past two years, I paid out of pocket for major repairs directly related to these exact safety defects (replacing the catalytic converter and two brake lines), yet neither the independent shops nor the dealership flagged these open safety recalls during those services. By blaming the consumer for a lack of communication while failing to provide mandatory notice, the manufacturer is leveraging their own notification breakdown to evade responsibility for a dangerous, defective engine. I request that NHTSA investigate Kia's failure to provide proper notification and their refusal to honor safety obligations for a verified class-settlement vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car quit running and when I checked the oil there was none and this has been three months ago
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data