Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Kia Motor Soul - part 1

Engine block had been replaced due to recall and excessive oil consumption, but vehicle is doing this again. Local dealership refuses to give appt for oil check and is sending us 55 miles away. We’re told it will be about 1k to test it for fuel combustion and oil change before they can even test it. Replacement engine block failed to fix the issue and local kia is not helpful.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The contact's grandmother owns a 2016 kia Soul. The contact stated that while his grandmother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that due to the failure and the outside temperatures, his grandmother was stuck inside the inoperable vehicle. The contact's grandmother sustained a heat stroke while waiting for assistance. The contact's grandmother was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was taken to firestone, where dtc: p0420 and p0302 were retrieved. The contact was informed that the codes indicated an engine misfire. While driving to firestone, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling); in 2021. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 59,242.

I purchased a used 2025 kia Soul with approximately 12,930 miles on the odometer in July 2026. Prior to Friday, August 1, 2026, I had not experienced any warning lights, warning messages, drivability issues, or other symptoms. The vehicle appeared to operate normally. On August 1, 2026, as I pulled out of the parking lot, the car surged or lurched forward while pushing on the gas. I pulled over, and the engine rpm still would increase on its own while the vehicle was in park, and and while stopped with the brake pedal applied. On one occasion in traffic a week before, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. At the time I thought I did something wrong and didn't initially think it was a defect. This has created a safety concern because the vehicle appears to accelerate or push forward without me doing anything. The condition raised concerns about maintaining control of the vehicle in traffic and while stopped behind other vehicles. The vehicle was inspected by a kia dealership. I was informed that a technician performed a road test and was able to reproduce the concern I reported. The dealership initially identified contaminated a/c refrigerant and recommended evacuation and recharge of the a/c system. After further diagnosis, I was informed that the a/c compressor may have internal damage and may require replacement. The root cause of the unexpected revving, stalling, and lurching has not been conclusively determined. I have received conflicting information regarding whether the a/c system is responsible for the condition and whether the vehicle is safe to drive. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Kia customer care reviewed the situation and recommended that the vehicle be evaluated by a different kia dealership for a second opinion. No police report or insurance investigation has been conducted regarding this issue. Someone advised me to file this report, saying that an ac compressor can't make a car engine lurch.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Engine piston recall defect. Car has been at the dealership 12 days today and has been diagnosed and has been submitted to a kia corporate case for repair free of charge. Car had no warning lights on and basically blew up on me driving home from my overnight work shift Thursday into Friday, July 31 morning. Every day they tell me they will give me a loaner and every day they lie. I have called until I’m blue in the face and no action has happened. I’m making a report because I’m about to lose my home and the car in the shop being repaired both because I’m stranded at my house as a single woman with a child with no alternate transportation. It is at the kia dealership in southhaven mississippi 745 east goodman rd. I maintained this vehicle and paid every single note on time and did nothing wrong. I’m gonna lose everything because of this recall repair needed that I never knew anything about. It wasn’t on my auto report in 2024 when I bought the car somehow or I probably wouldn’t have bought it with any engine issues but I was unaware. The car literally never had any lights on or issues until the morning when it blew up. During this time I thought I was supposed to get alternate transportation and that hasn’t happened. Because I invested in kia I’m the only one suffering right now about to lose my home and job because they have my car and won’t give me alternate transportation. A free repair is no good if you’re going to lose everything you work hard to maintain while it’s being repaired. I will never buy kia again and I will never tell anyone else to buy. Absolute horrible experience so far. I’ve already paid out-of-pocket for a tow which can’t be reimbursed until 6 to 8 weeks after the repair is complete from what I read. If I end up homeless over this 6 year old car I thought would last me, I’m not gonna want the car anymore.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Please see attached documents. I have also put them in the us mail. One to kia: kia customer care center, Kia Motors America, inc. , p. O. Box 52410, irvine, CA, 92619-2410 and one to the national highway traffic safety administration: 1200 new jersey avenue, s. E. , washing, DC 20590.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and two hubcaps were damaged, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle arrived at the residence, there was no oil inside the engine. The contact added oil to the engine, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that an oil change was performed at approximately 54,000. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,375.

Dealer refusing to honor open recall remedy for sc200 / NHTSA 20v750000 on 2015 kia Soul VIN [xxx], approx 100k miles. Recall shows "no unrepaired recall found" on NHTSA VIN lookup, but ksds update and engine bearing test were never performed. Kia of cheyenne states: 1) must pay for recall because update not done, 2) must pay for unrelated repairs first, 3) must provide all oil receipts, 4) will not perform free remedy. Second dealer fort collins kia service phone rings no voicemail. Request NHTSA reopen recall and enforce free remedy per 49 usc 30120. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The vehicle is suffering from an extreme internal engine oil consumption defect, burning approximately 3 quarts of engine oil every 500 to 600 miles with no external leaks. The internal oil burning heavily fouled the vehicle's ignition system (spark plugs and coil packs), causing severe engine misfires and a sudden vehicle stall while operating in motion on public highways. This unexpected loss of motive power creates an extreme safety hazard. The local dealership, paramount kia of hickory, refused to follow proper factory technical service bulletin (TSB-eng219) testing protocols to document the defect, leaving the consumer operating an unsafe vehicle.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The contact owned a 2015 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, bystanders notified the contact that the vehicle was on fire. The contact pulled over, exited the vehicle, opened the hood, and there were flames coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's boyfriend called 911. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the engine, catalytic converter, the two oxygen sensors, radiator hoses, heater coil hoses, motor mounts, and the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the engine was replaced in 2022 under an unknown recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the mileage on the vehicle was 108,000, at the time that the recall repair was completed. The contact was informed that the warranty only covered the replacement of the engine. The contact stated that the failure was a consequential failure associated with the engine failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

The contact owns a 2012 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started, and the check engine warning light was off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the recall repair failure code was not illuminated. In addition, the contact was informed that the failure was not covered under a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 156,310.

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Check engine light came on and car was out of oil even though an oil change was done about a month ago. Catalytic converter was replaced once already. Per mechanic excess heat caused out to leak catalytic converter needs replacing again and now engine is damaged as all engine oil leaks out where it cannot be detected on ground. Danger of fire according to recall sc176 and mechanic. Car was smoking so it has been parked for safety to avoid fire.

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding an ongoing failure by kia America and its dealership network to safely execute six simultaneous safety recalls and service campaigns on my 2014 kia Soul (VIN: [xxx]). My vehicle was driven to the dealership in fully functional, running condition. The dealership performed consecutive software flashes (sc229 and pi2002a) alongside major physical dismantling of the steering rack and drivetrain assemblies (sc155, sc155a, and sc144), and engine management modifications (sc176). Upon pickup on xxx, my car began stalling directly on the lot. The dealership verbally dismissed this severe mechanical issue as a bad set of spark plugs. I personally purchased and installed brand-new spark plugs to isolate the issue. On xxx, within 10 miles of driving with the new plugs, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss while driving on a public road, creating an immediate highway hazard. The vehicle will now start but stalls instantly when put into drive, indicating a massive system conflict or physical grounding/wiring damage caused during the execution of these simultaneous recalls. Brand-new spark plugs did not resolve the issue, proving the dealer's verbal diagnosis was an attempt to Dodge accountability. Kia corporate has explicitly refused to authorize or fund a tow for an inoperable vehicle ruined directly by their own recall remedies. I request an immediate federal investigation into the execution and failure of these combined campaigns on my vehicle. As of xxx, the vehicle remains entirely disabled at my residence. Kia corporate was contacted and explicitly refused to provide or cover a flatbed tow back to an authorized repair facility, stating only that they would 'see what they could do' if the consumer absorbs the transport costs for their defective recall execution. Thank you- [xxx] & [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The contact owned a 2014 kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the contact became aware of a burning rubber odor and observed grey and brown smoke coming from underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that a fire had started underneath the front of the vehicle. The local fire department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. While exiting the vehicle, the vehicle continued rolling and the rear driver’s side tire ran over both feet. The contact had two severely bruised feet; however, medical assistance was not sought. The vehicle was not towed or taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,000.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling). The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

On xxx my family and I were heading home from a family vacation. My engine burned through the oil that was put in my car on xxx. No low oil pressure light came on and there was no warning my vehicle had problems with the oil. We took our car to a kia dealership in [xxx] and that’s when I was informed that my engine was burning oil. We had no prior knowledge that there was a problem. The service guy we were working with admitted that this issue was due to the fault engines from kia and submitted a claim to get my engine replaced that was denied due to “low oil” information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Car stalls in traffic repeatedly. Code identified crank shaft .

The engine has structural manufacturer defect causing extreme internal engine oil consumption with zero external leaks, creating a severe risk of sudden oil starvation catastrophic mechanical engine failure. The severe oil consumption problem was confirmed by a certified national corporate service center (firestone auto care). An intermittent p0420 catalytic converter warning is actively appearing on the dashboard, which is a documented consequence of internal engine oil burning. When attempting to get this mechanical defect diagnosed and repaired under the class-action parameters, manufacturer dealerships (findlay kia and jim marsh kia) declined to schedule the mandatory manufacturer diagnostic testing, preventing a known vehicle defect from being resolved.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Vehicle has 22000 miles and has a major/excessive oil consumption and engine failure. Exhaust camshaft (broken pin) exhaust cvvt (broken pin) these components breaking caused the vehicle to stall and completely shut the vehicle down while driving 70 mph on the freeway. The vehicle was inspected by a kia certified mechanic and mentioned this is a well known concern. The only indicator that there was an issue was an engine light which gave a code representative of a faulty senor, not a major engine concern.

Vehicle: 2021 kia Soul lx, 2. 0l engine subject: loss of motive power and stall while driving under recall sc336 description of incident: on 07/02 @ roughly 6:15pm, while driving on the highway I-35e at approximately 60 mph, my vehicle's engine experienced a sudden and complete loss of engine power, stalling while in motion. I was able to safely navigate to the shoulder, activate my hazard lights, and restart the vehicle after pulling over. This stall occurred despite the vehicle being covered by recall sc336 for defective piston oil rings . The recall condition explicitly warns that engine seizure can result in "loss of motive power," creating a significant risk of crash or injury. Ongoing symptoms (documented): · excessive oil consumption: over 2. 5 quarts low after approximately 1,000 miles since the last oil change. This aligns with the recall's "increased oil consumption" warning. · audible engine knocking when shutting off and ticking during acceleration. This matches the "abnormal noise from the engine" described in the recall. · active diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) stored: p0017, p0014, p000b, p0172, p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303, p0304. These indicate timing issues, misfires on all four cylinders, and oil pressure-related failures. Vehicle had similar codes when visited for recall February of this year. Was told everything looked fine. · the vehicle shows signs of instability when accessories (a/c, headlights) are engaged, suggesting the engine is struggling to maintain idle. Safety risk: the vehicle is unsafe to drive. The stall on the highway presented an immediate crash risk due to the sudden loss of power, which also disables power steering and power brakes.

A service campaign/safety recall was issued, necessitating an engine replacement. Bramlett kia in [xxx], performed this service in late may/early June of 2025. It took them an entire six weeks to do the work. Upon completion of the job, my husband attempted to drive it off their lot, only for the transmission to go out immediately. Kia also replaced the transmission. After this was done, my husband drove the car back to our house in [xxx]. It sat in our garage from June until two weeks ago. My brother has been driving the car between [xxx], and [xxx]. Two nights ago, as he was leaving work, the vehicle started, ran for 30 seconds and made a rumbling sound before breaking down. He restarted the car and started driving it, but the car quickly overheated. As an emergency measure, he drove it to a service shop in [xxx], where it was discovered that the ac compressor and serpentine belt had come loose. This was because the bolts securing the engine were overtightened during the engine replacement in [xxx], and two of them had broken off while the vehicle was in motion, thus allowing the compressor and serpentine belt to loosen. We had the car towed to cavenaugh kia in [xxx]. They will not perform the work and say that the vehicle should go back to the dealership in [xxx]. The alabama dealership says it is not their problem. Kia customer affairs also says that because the work was performed just over a year ago, it is no longer covered under warranty. Furthermore, they will not pay to have it towed. I called gossett kia in [xxx], where the car was purchased, and they are not sure they will be able to do the work either. I feel so stuck and without recourse in this situation. We are stuck with a [xxx]old car that is undrivable. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2016 kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it was started, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was turned off to stop the smoking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The car began making a weird noise and stalling. Then close to home if shut off, I was able to restart it and drove a short distance to home. Realized couldn't drive it like that and contacted city kia greater orlando dealer. Towed the car to the indicated destination and after about four days (it was the July 4th weekend) they sent me a diagnostic of engine failure due to internal combustion and want to charge me $7500. Offered another alternative for about $1500 but acknowledged that would likely not solve the issue. I declined and informed them that I was told about the engine recall, that my vehicle year and model (2020 kia Soul) was included in the lawsuit that caused the recall, and that I was never told by the dealer or kia about the engine recall and about a particular software upgrade that was supposed to alert me about the possibility of engine failure due to a kia manufacturing defect. They informed me that my vehicle was out of warranty and that my VIN number was not in a particular list of vehicles. I don't understand how is it possible, since I purchased that vehicle in the same dealer with about 3000 miles at the time of purchase and the vehicle has been properly maintained in the same dealer, as the maintenance records show, including a good maintenance badge from carfox. I believe this is extremely unfair, how I am supposed to accept that I have a useless vehicle when I did everything right and my car obviously should've been included in that engine recall. How is it that I received letters from kia about other recalls but not about that engine recall? previous to the engine stalling and noise incident the oil warming light never turned red. I believe that my vehicle should be included in the list of vehicles approved for the engine recall, based on this statement and the facts.

I am losing the engines oil every 500 miles. It is an ongoing problem and I have to check my oil on a regular basis so the engine does not seize or catch fire as my mechanic has instructed/alerted me to do.

Jeff smith kia in perry was doing the maintenance they went out of business kia hutchinson I told several employees more than once that I was having problems the car would slowly shut down and cut off start then stop on the hey I had to call tow trucks have rentals there was a chainsaw sound underneath had to constantly place oil in the car kia never contacted me about a recall the dealerships never communicated recalls on the engine and oil burning they placed me and my grandchildren at risk and say I have to pay $110000 for a new engine. A belt. Cadillac converter and I simply do not have that. School starts in a week 1/2 and I cannot get four children to school or make it to my dr appointments tremendous hardship and safety concern because a mechanic told me the shutting down is a mechanism to keep the engine from catching on fire and exploding. I have been told by several kia owners they had the same issue. Walmart mgr told me it is a manufacturer issue I should not have to pay for repairs.

The engine shut down unexpectedly while driving. The dealer confirmed it was due to internal oil consumption. There's a known history of engine failure in these vehicles due to manufacturing defect, including shutting down while driving, noise coming from the engine and even a risk of fire. The warning oil lamp never came up, there was no oil leak spots in my driveway. My safety definitely was at risk, and kia was sued and lost for these same reason before. I towed the car to kia city in south orlando but they wanted to charge me $7500 for fixing the engine under the excuse that the warranty had expired. This is not true, since this vehicle was purchased as a certified pre-owned vehicle with only 3000 miles and still is under the ten year powertrain warranty. I towed the vehicle back home after almost a week in the dealer.

Engine went into limp mode on highway on June 30th 2026 and is available now for inspection. Partner and daughter were almost hit by a semi. VIN was registered on kia website. . Kia and dealership inspected and took responsibility for engine recall and deemed it safe on October 6th 2025. Check engine light came on.

The contact owns a 2022 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph uphill, there was an abnormal knocking sound from the rod bearings inside the engine. The contact stated that the rod bearings had gone through the engine block, and there was black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle became inoperable after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The diagnostic test and repair were pending. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

My engine has suffered a mechanical failure that makes the vehicle stall or lose power while driving, creating a massive highway safety hazard. Kia is using a software update loophole to deny fixing a physical, dangerous manufacturing defect.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The vehicle burns an unreasonable amount of oil. This clogs tue catalytic converter creating risks of breakdown or fire. There are many documented cases of this on the vehicle models and yet kia has not resolved. Instead we pay for the issue. Car ownership has been consistent on maintenance and yet this issue remains.

I recently bought this 2020 kia Soul the 2 l engine and I’ve noticed every 700 miles 1 quart of oil in this concerns me because how do I not affect it would’ve ran dry and burn the motor up that me is safety. I understand that they have it to replace motor and engine for the original owner, but since I am second owner of this vehicle I don’t qualify for the hundred thousand miles 10 year warranty. My vehicle has 88,700 miles and I’m sure what not to do next.

Hello NHTSA I have a problem with my car. Which kia Soul plus with 83000 miles on it. It have check engine light blinks with code p1326 which is knock sensor recall. I went to kia dealer at federico kia at wood river illinois they replaced the knock sensor. It show up back in 6 miles. I took it back to the dealer. They hold the car for one week. They said you got denied of engine replacement due to lack of maintenence. It have sevice records on carfax.

Engine and engine components caught fire while driving. This put my husbands life at risk and could have caused harm to other drivers if he was driving on a busier road. Car fire could have completely engulfed the car and caused harm or even death. Fire department was called to assist with extinguishing the fire and to ensure that further danger did not persist.