Kia Motor Soul owners have reported 2,047 problems related to engine and engine cooling (under the engine and engine cooling category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Kia Motor Soul based on all problems reported for the Soul.
The engine stalled. I was in a left turning lanev(which there's 2 left turning lanes and I was in the far left turning lane when the vehicle stalled and I had to get out in heavy traffic and push the vehicle to the gas station to the right of me. Cars were coming so close to me and I was so scared) I've spoken to the dealership and they said twice that someone would call me but no one has yet. The engine light came on and when I pressed the gas to go, it wouldn't move. Once I got the vehicle into the gas station, a gentleman told me to let it sit for 5 minutes and turn it back on. I did, the vehicle started but, would only allow me to drive around 35 mph until I was able to park it back in my driveway. Im terrified to drive it now.
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all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Soul
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This is a 6 year old car, with just under 108,000 miles. The catalytic converter is clogged, most likely from oil getting past the piston rings and contaminating the catalytic converter. High oil consumption, resulting in 1 qt needed to be added every 850-875 miles on average. Extended warranty company excludes this part. Kia warranty covers exhaust parts only up to 80,000 miles. To replace is $4,100. Car is valued at $3,000-$3500, with dealership saying without replacement car is worth less than $1,000. Other kia’s in years before and after this vehicle have recalls for this specific issue, and this year car and this vehicle specifically should be added to the recall.
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all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Soul
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Auto start stop issue - vehicle will stall and not start when waiting at a red light after you let go of break. All warning lights would turn on and stall.
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all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Soul
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While I was parked, I got into the vehicle inserted the key and turned the vehicle on as it was started five seconds later the vehicle shut off instantly and the check engine light came on. I tried to keep starting the vehicle a couple of times. When it finally started, I had no warning lights on the dashboard so I took it a parts store who checked it out with a handheld diagnostic machine. The results were nothing was showing wrong. Everything was okay. They said it could be a glitch in the computer system and to follow up with dealership if problem persist.
I took the car to the shop because it had been consuming a lot of oil within the last 2 months and everytime I went to the shop they would just top off my oil . They ended up doing an oil consumption test and my car failed it and mind you they had just put oil in my car the week prior . I took my car Monday because my engine light had came on . When arriving the guy scanned my car with a machine they told me it was bad spark plugs in my engine . He sent me to firestone because he said the process would be cheaper or faster . ( mind you I told them I am doing the oil consumption test) they proceeded to send me to firestone . Firestone checked my oil and that’s when they found out there was no oil in my vehicle . They asked me if I was doing the oil consumption test I told them yes firestone would not allow me to drive the car back to kia so I ended up waiting 2 hours for a tow truck . When it got back to kia they told me I had a bad engine without checking it . They said I don’t qualify for the warranty because I am not the first owner . According the website it said the engine should be good up to 100,000 miles .
The contact owns a 2015 kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or accelerating, the vehicle started shaking at the front end near the engine. The vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v750000 (engine), and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact of dtc: p70300, which should have been resolved with the recall repair, which allowed the vehicle to pass the inspection as a successful repair; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle had not received any additional repairs. The contact found information on TSB: eng222, NHTSA id number: 11014912 (engine), which was related to the failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, then opened a case and informed the contact that no additional assistance would be provided. The failure mileage was approximately 89,600.
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all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Soul
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The contact owns a 2022 kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.
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all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Soul
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Kia is aware of these issues why haven't they issued a recall for engine oil composition low and causing problems.
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all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Soul
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I was driving home from work and got about 5 miles and I see smoke and pulled over. I had it towed to repair shop and they said they found a hole in my engine block and a broken connecting rod. They told me I should take it to kia as I only have 132,179 miles and that repair should be under warranty. I took it to kia and they denied the repair due to a class action lawsuit and I did not qualify for that as a recall was missed ksds update. I bought the car used in late 2019 and the last ower has since died. I was never notified of these updates.
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all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Soul
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I am submitting this report regarding an ongoing issue with my kia vehicle related to the recall for code p1326 (knock sensor detection system / engine bearing wear). The first time this issue occurred, kia documented the problem and kept my vehicle overnight to perform what they referred to as an “engine soak. ” I was informed that this procedure might resolve the engine performance and oil consumption problems. I was also advised that if the issue reoccurred within 15 years of vehicle ownership or before reaching 150,000 miles, kia would replace the engine under the recall warranty. Recently, the same issue has reappeared, but kia is now refusing to replace the engine, citing “gaps in maintenance” from the early years of my ownership. I explained that, at that time, my father performed all oil changes and maintenance at home to reduce costs, as I was a young driver living with my parents. Kia is requesting proof of oil or tool purchases from over ten years ago, which I no longer possess. Additionally, all vehicle-related documentation was left inside the car when it was stolen and broken into twice—incidents connected to the nationwide kia theft issue that has been subject to another class-action lawsuit. As a result, I no longer have access to those records. During my initial visit, the kia service representative, jake, assured me that if the engine failed again and I maintained the vehicle properly, I would be covered for a full engine replacement. I have made every effort to comply with those terms, yet kia corporate has denied my claim. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance in resolving this matter and ensuring that kia honors its recall obligations and prior representations made to me as a consumer.
Engine is loosing oil into the #2 cylinder, causing an damage to the downstream exhaust. Once the cylinder fills with oil, the care immediately drops in operation speed causing significant driver response and immediately surrounding vehicles.
Description of problem: my 2021 kia Soul experienced complete engine failure consistent with the defect described in recall 25v099 (sc336), which addresses faulty piston oil rings that can cause engine damage, stalling, and potential fire risk. Kia of round rock performed a compression test and found cylinder 3 at 102 psi, well below the normal minimum of 160 psi. Despite this, the service advisor stated in writing that the failure was “unrelated to the recall” and quoted an engine rebuild cost of $7,476. 32. The recall specifically identifies incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings as a cause of engine damage. Low compression from defective piston rings directly aligns with this recall’s description and the findings in my vehicle. Additional detail: prior to the failure, a warning light briefly appeared on the dashboard but did not remain illuminated. It was not the engine light, and it disappeared shortly after. This suggests the defect was developing internally without a consistent diagnostic warning, making it unpredictable and dangerous. Safety concern: this is a serious safety hazard for my family, including our two children (ages 6 and 9). A sudden engine failure or stall could cause a dangerous accident or even be fatal. We trusted kia to provide a safe vehicle and to honor its recall obligations. The refusal to address this under the recall leaves us driving an unsafe car that could fail at any time. Supporting documentation: dealership diagnostic report showing compression test results and repair estimate. Recall notice (25v099 / sc336) identifying the piston oil ring defect. Written communication with kia of round rock and kia consumer affairs. Additional notes: I contacted kia consumer affairs to open a case and request escalation. I am filing this complaint to inform NHTSA that vehicles like mine are being denied coverage for a failure directly related to the recall.
Had 3 oil consumption test 2 oil leak repairs, low to no oil each time, now car is stalling , catalytitic converter problem, yellow engine light is blinking, kia of newton new jersey need to fix my car.
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all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Soul
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Rcall sc176 I have tried multiple times to schedule the required recall repair for my kia, but my local dealer has not responded to phone calls or emails. I cannot travel to another state to complete this recall. Kia has not provided a reasonable option to complete the safety repair. I am requesting assistance to get this recall completed safely and locally, and at no cost.
I was driving back from cleveland OH to columbus OH, the car started to slow down on its own , the engine light came on,and the car started to shake, and back firing. I made back home took care of to a certified mechanic shop for diagnostics. I just got an oil changed two days before this happened the mechanic noticed there was no oil in my car, it was in my piston rings. They told me there was a recall on my year kia for the piston . I called kia, they said they couldn’t find a recall for my car. If there was a recall sc336 for kia Souls and seltos. I asked if the dealer could honor the recall on my vehicle they said no because the recall didn’t include my VIN number.
I was driving in the carpool line to anaheim with my daughter, the car starts pulling and make a noise in the front part and start loosing speed, from 75 miles per hour to 40 miles per hours in 2 minutes. I drove to the safety zone but in high risk to a crash. All the sensor lights on in the front part. And the steering feels hard, no movement. We feel so stressed and unsafe. The police officer help us and the 511 towing help this was on October 16th. We pay $830 dlls to the aaa to bring the car to san diego.
The contact owns a 2016 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. The contact heard an abnormal clunking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the rpms increased to 3,000 and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. However, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the rpms increased to 3,000 again. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 mph. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. In addition, the contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling). However, the contact was informed that the repair was already performed on the vehicle and was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 97,945.
I was traveling on Saturday at about 40 miles an hour down the road car just all of a sudden lost power and started smoking. No engine light or anything else came out to indicate a problem. Got it too a repair shop waiting to hear Monday exactly all the damage but they did say it had no oil in the car. It’s only been 2 1/2 months since an oil change checked that last month had plenty of oil could this be related to the 2021 to 2023 engine oil burning and kia. I have been towed on the last three or four oil changes that it was almost a half a quart low each time.
The contact owns a 2014 kia Soul. The contact, who was an independent dealer, purchased the vehicle for resale. The contact researched and identified an unrepaired recall under NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling) associated with the VIN. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The contact was informed that, because of missing or incorrect VIN information, the repair was declined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure.
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all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Soul
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Engine failed mid drive. Started with knocking sound then went into limp mode and then shut off and did not want to start. Car failed in the middle of traffic and could of injured me and others. I've read of other failures of the same models but for some reason the 2017 model isn't eligible for the settlement even though the same issues are present in the 2017 kia Soul models. Had to have my vehicle towed home.
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all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Soul
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Kia Soul engines are known for burning through oil very quickly. The recall does not include my car because I have a 2. 0l engine. The excessive oil consumption of my engine completely melted the inside of my catalytic converter. My car only has 106,000 miles, so this shouldn't be an issue. I had my check engine light come on, so the mechanic told me to use different gas and turned the light off. My catalytic converter being completely blocked and melted is directly related to the oil consumption of the engine. I had two mechanics comfirm this. I experienced a major loss of power, and inability to accelerate normally, which can be very dangerous. I was trying to accelerate uphill on a road with little shoulder space or many places to turn around, and my car stopped and the check engine light started blinking. Very unsafe, if my car won't let me accelerate and I come to an unexpected dead stop, it could cause accidents. I can't believe my car isn't included in the recall, it has the same issues as the 1. 6l engine. I now have to put out thousands to get my catalytic converter replaced, and with the engine burning oil, it'll ruin a new catalytic converter faster than normal.
The engine makes a noise like a knock, when the car is running or the speed increases the noise becomes louder and it feels like a strong blow coming from the engine.
It started appearing to be electrical and ended in some type of engine/system emergency! I rented this vehicle through avis and the first few days everything appeared ok, regarding the functionality vehicle. Mid-day on 10-4-25, I attempted to put groceries in the trunk, wouldn’t open. After 4 minutes, I gave up, assuming I’m doing something wrong. That evening, the gas mileage hadn’t moved remained at (90), the battery light, oil pan, mph:stuck on 23, and the rev stuck on 1. 2, and the odometer hasn’t changed. When I removed the key the dash board remained on and once I hit the lock button it turned off. 10-5-25, I put gas in the car and the indicator marker never moved. I called to report these issues because my vehicle was not inspected before I left the lot. We canceled our paid trip and headed back to TX. While driving, the gas and oil pan light would turn on (2-3 min) then go off. While on the freeway, suddenly, the car shuts off. The best way I can describe it during the process is (sitting in a parked car with the acc position) everything is working but the car isn’t “on”. Due to mph being stuck at 23, I can say I was literally going the speed limit (60-65, flow of traffic) to 0! the phones were still charging, lights, and dashboard stayed lit, hazards light worked, and we literally rolled until the car stopped! since this is a rental by law it should have been checked before handing me the keys. The employee handed me the keys and pointed to the car from his computer. As soon as I was aware it was a problem I called multiple times to report this. When the situation was not properly handled by avis the first 4 times, I called the police. I requested to file a report and the officer did not show, however, harris county sent a tow truck. I will be filling a police report in the morning. Although there is not a recall, I see there are social groups with similar issues in the kia 2024 sol! this was a lemon rental and the experience was traumatic!.
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all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Soul
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Engine shut off while driving, would not restart, vehicle VIN included in pi2107 campaign, kia refused to cover repair. This is a serious safety hazard.
The contact owns a 2020 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at a very low speed, the vehicle's speed increased independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was being parked. The contact noticed an unusual sound, and the engine revved up. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable. The vehicle went across the street into the neighbor's yard. The vehicle crashed into the neighbor's rose bush and up onto the patio. The contact stated that the neighbor, who was seated on the patio, had been knocked out of the chair. In addition, the vehicle crashed into a wooden post. The neighbor was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed; however, the information was unavailable. The neighbor's injuries were unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,500.
I don’t know.
The contact owns a 2020 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rod bearings failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
The contact owns a 2014 kia Soul. The contact received a recall letter related to NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that while driving 40-45 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was restarted. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved dtc: p0420; which was related to the catalytic converter. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the software update was completed, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 177,238.
Low compression on cylinder 3 and 4 and the car only has 40,000 miles on it. It's not covered in warranty because it's a 2018 model but I've only had the car for 1. 5 years and still owe 18,000 on it and I'm a officer and a single mother and can't afford to let the car go back when kia knows these cars have engine issues and low compression engine problems.
The contact owned a 2019 kia Soul. The contact purchased the vehicle four months ago. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and stalled. The contact was close to the residence and pushed the vehicle to the driveway. The contact called the salesperson and informed the salesperson of the failure. The salesperson stopped by the residence and took the vehicle away. An independent mechanic hired by the salesperson informed the contact that the failure was related to the engine. The contact had purchased a 2013 Ford fusion from the same dealer and while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled, and there was a large amount of oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then replaced by the 2019 kia Soul. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Second engine installed in the car ceases to fire. Condition does not change with new sensors for camshaft nor crankshaft. Engine turns freely cranks but will not restart. Unreliable driving conditions. Mathew’s kia wants $1400 upfront to start exam in blind faith to see if a properly serviced car has a common warranty claim.
Engine stopped do to zero oil no light came on warning me and I checked the oil a month pryer. Had the oil changed two months before.
I was on my way home from work and the car just cut off . It wont move forward or backwords. . The lights,radio all was on the car just wouldnt move . . I turned the key off and tried to start it up. . It did nothing . . Waited bout 10 minutes it started back up . . I looked up the recalls . Sc176 sounds like what happen to it.
On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, my engine stalled and would not start. Aaa looked at it and tried to jump it, and could not get it to start. I was stranded an hour and a half away from home, so I had to have it towed to my home. On Monday, September 22nd 2025, I had a mechanic come look at my car. He ran diagnostics,a compression test, replaced my spark plugs, literally every test he could do, and said there was an issue with my engine. I know there was a class-action lawsuit against kia, and tried to find out of my car qualifies for the extended warranty, but upon searching my VIN, was told it does not. Even though I have all the same symptoms. And I have been excessively burning oil for a few months, having to put about two (2) quarts of oil in my car a week.
The engine is having oil consumption since may 2025. It is a 2019 kia Soul, 1. 6l gdi engine. I have taken it to get oil changes, however there is no leak. It is also making a rattling noise and having a hard time to accelerate. I was informed by a mechanic that it is the pistons knocking around, due to the overheating and oil consumption. Even the dealership told me that it is dangerous to drive. I bought the car brand new and am the only owner, it's crazy that it's falling apart after 6 years.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems | |
| Check Engine Light On problems | |
| Engine Knocking Noise problems | |
| Engine Burning Oil problems | |
| Car Stall problems | |
| Engine Oil Leaking problems | |
| Engine Cooling System problems | |
| Engine Clicking And Tapping Noises problems | |
| Catalytic Convertor problems | |
| Loud Engine Noise problems |