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

The transmission on the vehicle has gone bad twice since we purchased it used. The car has 34,400 miles on it. The problem puts the driver in an unsafe situation as the problem causes the car to lose power while at high speeds. The piston rings have also been replaced as part of the recall. Kia just keeps replacing these parts with more defective parts. I have videos if you want them.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Owned vehicle for 1 year. On [xxx} the vehicle kept stalling and wouldn't accelerate. Drove to service station. Had 4 coils and spark plugs replaced. Car was still not right- compression test confirmed engine failure. Had car towed to kia dealer matt blatt rt 37 toms river, NJ. Their diagnostic shows 3rd cylinder failure top engine. Class action lawsuit on engine failure coverage is for bottom engine failure. Regardless the entire engine needs replacement. There's thousands of these cars with both top engine and bottom engine failure- yet they will not assist in replacement. It seems ridiculous to know the engines are bad and only cover the 1 area- when the entire engine needs to be replaced regardless of engine failure location. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Unknown but told by multiple mechanics that the kia Soul eats oil and the engine constantly runs dry which is pricey and unfair.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

I have put my 3rd catalytic convertor on this car. It looses power going uphill. Which is not safe. Just had 3rd on replaced yesterday Feb. 9, 2026. The mechanic said there is too much oil going to the engine. Mechanic said next thing would be replacing the engine. Why does my 2016 not have a recall on the engine.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

While driving, the vehicle suffered a sudden and total engine seizure and loss of power (stalling), creating a life-threatening hazard in traffic . A certified kia technician diagnosed a seized short block, multi-cylinder misfires (p0300-p0304), and a hole in the exhaust valve. This failure is identical to the defects in recall sc176 and the engine litigation ii settlement. Furthermore, the dealer previously refused my request for the ksds safety software update, which would have prevented this catastrophic seizure by triggering limp home mode.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

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.

Vehicle is consuming over 2 quarts of oil in less than 1000 miles and it causing the oil light to come on and loss power.

I’ve had nothing but problems with this car since about a year after getting it in 2021. Constant noises with the engine engine check light coming on all the time I would bring it in and no one would be able to figure out what was going on. And then it started to get worse and I had my catalytic converter replaced and not even a couple months later I had to have had another catalytic converter put in there’s issues with oil consumption and between oil changes, I would have to top off my oil multiple times sometimes even five and then I started getting oil changes before I even needed to get them because I was nervous and then on January 22, 2026 driving on the highway my engine started to smoke and I pulled over and took it to the nearest dealership by way of tow truck and they told me that the fuel issues had destroyed my second cylinder in my engine, and it was not repairable and then told me that I needed to replace my engine, but the engine in my car is no longer being made. I was told that my car was running lean due to the fuel injector issues.

The vehicle is suffering from excessive oil consumption (over 1 quart per 1,000 miles) and a recurring p0420 (catalyst efficiency) code. This is a documented precursor to catastrophic engine failure and engine compartment fire in the 2. Ol nu gdi engine. The engine's oil consumption is poisoning the catalytic converter, causing it to clog. This creates extreme exhaust backpressure, leading to sudden loss of motive power (stalling) while driving. This defect poses an unreasonable risk of a high-speed collision and fire if oil comes into contact with the hot exhaust manifold. Due to current extreme winter conditions (-20f with wind chill), a sudden engine stall or seizure creates a life-threatening emergency. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle, as an engine failure in these temperatures could leave me stranded without heat in sub-zero weather.

Owner was driving home at the normal posted speed limit when the car stalled out. The check engine light was on along with the oil light, the car cranked back up in time before owner was rear ended. No accident occurred but a close call. The vehicle made it about another 1 mile before stalling again this time losing all control in steering as well and was towed home.

While driving under normal conditions, the check engine light began flashing and the vehicle suddenly lost power and entered limp mode. Acceleration was severely limited, making it difficult to maintain speed in traffic. The vehicle was later diagnosed with diagnostic trouble code p1326, which is associated with engine rod bearing failure. This caused an unexpected loss of engine power and created a safety risk while driving. The vehicle had to be taken to a dealership for inspection due to the severity of the power loss.

I purchased my 2020 kia Soul gt-line brand new in October 2019. The vehicle was later subject to a kia oil piston ring recall, which was performed by an authorized kia dealership in July 2021. Rick case kia - duluth, georgia despite the recall being marked as completed, the engine has now suffered catastrophic failure. An authorized kia dealership (nalley kia, lithonia, GA) performed an inspection and documented the following diagnosis: “engine has loss of compression in 3 of 4 cylinders due to piston ring failure. ” ? this confirms that the engine failed due to piston ring failure, the same defect addressed by the recall. The vehicle is currently inoperable and unsafe to drive due to engine failure and loss of power. Despite identifying the cause of failure, the servicing dealer and warranty administrator are refusing to process warranty coverage unless I personally pay $1,949. 56 for a complete engine teardown. The cause of failure has already been documented by the dealership, making the teardown demand unnecessary and unreasonable. I do not consent to teardown at my expense. This appears to be a case of failed or ineffective recall remediation, resulting in engine failure and creating a serious safety risk due to loss of engine power. I am requesting NHTSA investigation into the effectiveness of kia’s oil piston ring recall remedy and post-recall engine failures.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

My 2022 kia Soul experienced a sudden loss of motive power and stalling while driving, creating a high risk for a rear-end collision in traffic. An authorized kia dealership (mike miller kia) performed a major timing repair in March 2025 [xxx] ) to address these safety issues. However, the exact same failure occurred again in January 2026. The dealership now documents that the engine was 4 quarts low on oil, nearly empty, despite proper maintenance. This indicates a severe oil consumption defect that leads to timing failure and unpredictable engine stalls. I believe this vehicle poses an unreasonable safety risk due to this recurring stalling condition, which matches the defect described in NHTSA recall 25v099 (sc336), though my VIN is currently excluded. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Sudden vibration on the engine while driving. No power upon acceleration. Heavily oil consumption. Had a problem on the seat belt with in couple of year of purchased, however the dealer fixed it for free. Catalytic converter was brooked at 80k milage exactly when the warranty over. It was costly to replace.

On 01/12/2026, I had my 2021 kia Soul (VIN: [xxx] ) inspected by a technician at j&k automotive after discovering a significant drop in oil. The technician found the engine oil dipstick completely dry. A review of service records shows the last oil change was on 09/18/2025 (odometer: 20,862), meaning the engine consumed nearly its entire oil capacity in just 3,699 miles. The technician confirmed there are no external leaks and no dashboard warning lights (oil pressure or check engine) were illuminated prior to or during the inspection. This lack of warning creates a severe safety risk of sudden engine seizure and stalling at highway speeds. The billing summary noted that the kia Soul with my engine had a potentially defective piton ring design. This failure is consistent with recall 25v-099 (sc336) regarding defective piston oil rings causing cylinder bore scuffing. I am reporting this to document that the piston-ring noise sensing system (pnss) failed to provide an early warning of this safety-related oil consumption. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2020 kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle indicated that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that the dipstick was dry. The contact was concerned because oil had been added to the vehicle four months earlier, in October 2025. The dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The oil level was topped off. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,637.

The car is at the shop. My mechanic says engine needs to be replaced. It failed rapidly, in one evening, it started running ruff and check engine light came on. It stalled more than 5 times. The car stalled in an intersection and had to coast to a stop to restart. The next morning drove to o'reilly's to get the engine code. They identified the code as engine block. When leaving o'reilly's the car stalled in middle of the street and was almost hit by semi tractor trailer that stopped barely in time. The mechanic reported finding metal shaving in the oil when diagnosing the problem. There was not any warning lights or issues before that evening outing. We would love to have the manufacturer address this issue. Engine failure at 52,800 miles on a 2020 kia Soul needs to be addressed.

Engine knock engine failure.

Engine knocking.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Greetings, I have a base 2016 kia Soul manual transmission that I thought was under safety recall for its engine, but when I search it says 0 unrepaired recalls, when I look this up it does claim my vehicle had this problem, but I never had a dealer fix it, I did contact the one I got it from a couple of years ago and asked if my vehicle qualified for the recall since it already has 200,000 miles on it but they never got back to me, did they just claim to fix it, because it has not been worked on. Still runs great at 300,000 miles but if the engine has a safety issue that might catch on fire then I want to get it addressed regardless of its high mileage.

On 12/ 22/ 2025 I went to start the 2012 kia Soul and it would act like it would start but, it would not turn over. Battery was fine checked it. Let it set a moment and tried it again would not start. Called a wrecker and towed it in. The service guy tried and couldn't get it to start either. He ran a diagnostic on it, there were not type of codes, no check engine light nothing. He had it for until 1/5/2026 and when they went to check it it started right up. They drove it for 20 miles to check to see if it would cut off while driving, it didn't. It starts now but for how long. Here's the strange thing, I drove it 20 minutes away and I noticed that the counter for when you fill up with gas states how many miles you have left to go before fill up was counting up not down. So I think it could be the computer or electrical, I thought it was the fuel pump at first. Still no warning signals nothing.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Oil is getting past the piston oil rings, causing oil to get into spark plugs/coil area of engine. Mechanic printed recall paperwork for this exact issue, but no recall found for my VIN. According to recall, this is a very dangerous issue that can stall car at any time or may be more likely to cause fires. I need this to be addressed in my car, please. Especially since it's a known issue.

My car is burning oil and showing signs of blow-by. I suspect it is due to the faulty piston rings that prompted your engine recall sc209. I brought the vehicle into the dealership in 2020 at 2,100 miles for the recall and they said it "passed. " I recently became aware that this vehicle is burning oil at a significant rate, which is the date I reference below as "date this incident occurred. " I opened a case with kia customer care on 1/31/26. On 2/3/26 I began an oil consumption test at the local kia dealership and I will return at or near the 1,000-mile mark to determine how much oil was burned and to see if the oil has turned black, signifying the blow-by. Attached is the letter of fact that I provided to the dealership when I took the vehicle in to initiate the oil consumption test, so they have that on record, as does kia customer care. I may be in touch with you if I believe my vehicle has burned more than a quart of oil during the consumption test and they decline a next-step for addressing the defective pistons.

Was going down the freeway the check engine light came on pulled over and found there to be no oil on the dip stick and I had just checked it a week ago. Now the engine is knocking due to the oil consumption.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while idling on several occasions. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, and the dtc: p1c28 was retrieved, which the contact related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v531000 (power train); however, the model year was not included in the recall. The contact later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 25v099000 (engine and engine cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer diagnosed that the engine oil pump needed to be replaced, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The contact stated that the oil pump failure might also be related to the oil piston rings failure described in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

My kia Soul had a recall for the pistons to be replaced due to faulty pistons. Now they are saying my engine is needing replacement, even with regular scheduled oil changes being done. They said the top was full of sludge. The said it's not covered so I have to pay 6900 plus to get it replaced.

Put gas in it and out the blue would go pass 30 rpm we never had any issues with it I work on cars for a living I have spend over 3000 in new parts now I got it tow to firestone they telling me it’s something wrong with my engine cylinder two and four not getting any power they told me it was bad bargin or piston I don’t know how it happens because we kept the car up to maintenance.

I have a kia Soul 2022 and I have been having a lot of different problems with my vehicle that are a serious safety hazard for my family and myself. I was trying to pass 18 wheeler truck one night and I saw white and black smoke coming out from the back of my kia Soul. I was trying to pass a 18 wheeler on the interstate and my car shut its self all the way off. I freaked out and lucky there was no one on the right side when this happened I veered off to the right of the interstate and checked everything but I could smell something was burning. I sat on side of interstate I waited about 45 minutes and tried to crank it and it cranked so I was able to get to our location and I had a mechanic look at it he said it was the pistons and burning my oil. I took it back to get the guy look at it where I got the oil changed and he had to put more oil and an oil filter in it again. . I then went back home several days later I took the car back out and it started smoking and jerking on the road. The smoking is getting worse now. I know kia had a recall on the cars, but for some reason my VIN wasn’t included my car is doing the same as what the other ones are doing and to be honest I feel like all kia spul 2022 should be in recall this is very dangerous and I am still having to pay on ours and I am scared to drive it. There is a lot more to my story, but I don’t want to get banned. I just want my car to be included in the recall and all the others that are still having this problem. This is a dangerous defect and it should be fixed my car is my source of income and now have no clue what I will do when it catches on fire. Just today it smoked four times after going back to get more oil last night, because it was completely out of oil and I bought 2 quarts of oil just to get to the oil change place. Be careful and call corporate they should be under recall and corporate should be nicer to their customers and we shouldn’t have to pay for everything this recall is causing.

The engine failed while driving on the highway, putting myself and others at risk. First the car started shaking, then the check engine light flickered. Fortunately, I was able to get off the highway, but I was far from home. The engine failure was confirmed by an independent service center and a dealer. The vehicle was inspected by a third party and since it was still under warranty, the engine was rebuilt. A few weeks later, the check engine light came on again, this time 0420 code. The dealer where I purchased the vehicle called it in to the warranty company, and they have reset the check engine light and asked me to keep driving the car to see if the light comes back on. All of this happened after the car had undergone oil consumption testing, and a previous claim for a new engine had been denied both by the warranty company and the manufacturer.

My 2020 kia Soul has around 135,000 miles on it. When accelerating it sounded like a rod or piston was coming through the engine wall. Then began the chugging and loud knocking noises along with engine shutting off. Glad we were not on a railroad track or something like that. We could have easily been killed. No warning lights or sounds at all.

Summary of safety defect: while my 16 year old daughter was driving our 2014 kia Soul in December 2025, the car suddenly lost power in traffic and would not go over 20 mph; the check engine light came on and the vehicle entered limp mode. The sudden drop in power created a high anxiety, hazardous situation for my daughter, who had only had her license for a week, during rush hour traffic. The vehicle was unsafe to operate and had to be towed. Details of the incident: diagnostic trouble code p1326 (knock sensor detection system) was confirmed by the kia dealership. P1326 is part of kia’s known engine defect population and is tied to safety related engine failures. The dealership documented oil consumption, oil fouled spark plugs, and compression readings below kia’s minimum specification on all cylinders. The dealership concluded in writing that engine replacement is required. Despite this, kia denied warranty coverage based solely on a bearing clearance test, without completing the full diagnostic process required under the ksds settlement. The vehicle remains unsafe and inoperable. Why this is a safety issue: the sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate above ~20 mph created a dangerous situation for my daughter and surrounding traffic. This is a known defect pattern in kia vehicles covered under the ksds program. The failure occurred without warning and could have resulted in a collision. Requested action: I am reporting this because kia has not responded to my two complaints nor properly addressed a safety related engine defect that is already part of a national settlement. The incomplete diagnostic process and denial of coverage leave the vehicle unsafe and unusable. I request that NHTSA review this incident as part of the ongoing safety concerns involving kia gdi engines and p1326 related failures.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

On the way back from missouri to oklahoma, while on the turnpike the engine made a clanking sound and lost acceleration power. The car shook some, luckily the car was able to steer of to the right side of the shoulder just before a bridge. Car came to a stop and would not start. It was snowing and a child was in the car. The closest person for help was 3 1/2 hours away. The hazard lights did work but the car was not started back up after the loud clunk and shaking. Was not sure what happened at that moment. Did not want any further damage to occur. Attempted to have the car towed closer to home was made. A decision was made to take it to the closes kia dealership. As we was trying to figure out what might have happened with the engine. We found there where multiple recall on the car. I was unaware of the recalls. 2 of the recalls are on the engine for piston rod damage. A family member whom is a mechanic believed that was what happened. I called kia they confirmed the recalls were made. They said there was a fix. I never received the recall notices. They also asked me if I knew someone by the name [xxx] something. If the mail was in this person name but sent to my address. I would not have opened it or paid any attention other then sending it back with the mail man. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2015 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, with smoke coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot, where the engine overheated, and there was oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced. The contact stated that later, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while shifted into park(p), there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a product improvement code before the failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that a rental vehicle was paid for out of pocket. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (engine, engine and engine cooling); and the contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired prior to ownership in 2020. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

As I was driving home on the highway, my car began making a noise I never heard before. I looked out of my rear view and began to see smoke coming from my car. As I was trying to get off the highway, my car began to lose control. I couldn’t get completely off the highway so I pulled into a small corner. I realized my hood was on fire when I stopped. I grabbed my purse and keys and ran down the highway as fast as I could. By this time my car was engulfed in flames. A woman saw me in distress and helped me and allowed me to get in her car for safety as she called 911. That’s when the car blew up and we drove off the highway to safety.