Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Kia Motor Soul - part 2

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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The contact owned a 2015 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, there was smoke coming from the exhaust, with an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the contact exited the vehicle and became aware that there was a line of fire on the main road leading to the bottom of the vehicle. The contact stated that a week prior to the failure, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from inside the vehicle. The contact called the emergency services, and the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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).

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L have a 2014 grey kia Soul with engine problems engine recall. The car has stopped multiple times. The ksds is already installed since my kia in limp mode can’t got past 40mph. Its engine recall p1326 knock sensor rod bearing engine recall. Everything on car is up to date oil change last month and all other car parts. Smoke come inside car and outside my 2014 kia Soul making very very dangerous to drive. Its safety issue because of my kia engine recall. Please please need kia to give me a free new engine cause of these factors for safety please. Need free engine recall.

The engine long-block assembly suffered a catastrophic, terminal internal collapse and sudden stall due to abrasive substrate particle ingestion from a previously failed, melted manifold catalytic converter under safety recall sc176 (NHTSA campaign 19v120000). The vehicle has been extracted to preserve evidence and is available for immediate physical inspection. The vehicle suffered a complete, sudden loss of motive power and stalled while traveling at high speeds on a busy public highway. It went into an un-accelerated limp mode, creating an immediate hazard of a high-speed rear-end collision on the highway shoulder. Authorized franchise facility garden grove kia officially confirmed the terminal block failure under repair order #6238999. A diagnostic scan confirmed multi-cylinder misfires (p0300–p0304). A physical compression test confirmed a terminal drop to 59. 6 psi in cylinder 2, and an internal camera borescope confirmed a catastrophic internal cylinder 2 wall crash damage not sealing alongside a fractured spark plug tip inside cylinder 4. The dealership officially recommended a total engine replacement. The vehicle was inspected by a certified franchise dealer technician representing the manufacturer. A formal enforcement case has been opened regarding this vehicle asset and documentation file with the California bureau of automotive repair (bar) under reference case #669b-c5pdrp.

Car stalls in traffic repeatedly. Code identified crank shaft .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Incident overview & vehicle record vehicle: 2016 kia Soul purchase date: June 30, 2024 (purchased from autonation plano as 2nd owner) incident date: June 19, 2025 (stalled on road at 113,000 miles) current location: group1 kia south austin (towed on July 8, 2025) diagnosis: severe internal engine failure (rod bearing defect) current status: warranty extension claim denied by dealership due to missing knock sensor detection system (ksds) software update. We are 2nd user and this defects is due to manufectuer problem not user. Kia never issued recall regarding this matter.

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.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, a loud knocking sound was heard, and the vehicle's speed decreased to approximately 25 mph. The contact was able to safely pull over into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 197,000.

Oil warning dash light illuminated red. Engine oil dipstick showed empty. Oil had been changed within 4 months. Added approximately 3. 5 quarts of oil.

My 2020 kia Soul 2. 0l has developed serious engine problems. The vehicle initially had diagnostic trouble code p0014 and later p000b. The vehicle has also experienced significant oil consumption. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that the engine has sustained damage related to oil consumption and that the engine requires complete replacement. I was previously advised that the issue could involve the camshaft timing/variable valve timing system or cam phaser, but the engine itself needs to be replaced. The vehicle has approximately 113751 miles. I have maintained the vehicle and have documentation showing that I performed regular oil changes in accordance to the user manual. I am concerned about the premature engine failure and the potential safety consequences if the engine loses power or fails while the vehicle is being driven. My VIN currently does not show an applicable recall. I am reporting this problem because I believe the engine failure and oil-consumption issue should be documented and reviewed for a potential safety-related defect or pattern involving this vehicle/engine.

I own a 2020 kia Soul that received recall sc209. Kia performed the recall remedy and considered the recall complete. Before the engine failed, the vehicle had a documented history of excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was previously diagnosed by an independent third-party mechanic shop for excessive oil consumption, and I repeatedly had to add significant amounts of engine oil between oil changes to keep the engine operating. Despite this known condition, the excessive oil consumption continued after the recall was completed. Eventually, the engine suffered a connecting rod bearing failure and seized. The kia dealership has denied warranty or recall coverage solely because recall sc209 had already been completed. Kia consumer affairs also denied assistance and stated that the engine failure is not covered because the recall was previously performed. My concern is that the symptoms leading up to the engine failure—including excessive oil consumption followed by connecting rod bearing failure—are consistent with the defect addressed by recall sc209. In my opinion, the recall remedy did not correct the underlying defect on my vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the sc209 recall remedy is effective for vehicles that continue to experience excessive oil consumption and subsequently suffer catastrophic engine failure after the recall has been completed. I have maintenance records, documentation from the independent mechanic shop showing excessive oil consumption, proof that recall sc209 was completed, and documentation of the engine failure and kia's denial of coverage.

The vehicle is a 2015 kia Soul with the 1. 6l gdi engine. The check engine light came on solid, and a dealer later confirmed diagnostic trouble code p0420, indicating the catalyst system efficiency is below threshold on bank 1. The catalytic converter and engine are still on the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. This condition matches the defect described in kia’s sc176 safety recall for 2012–2016 Soul vehicles with the 1. 6l gdi engine, in which overheating of the catalytic converter can lead to internal engine damage and even a fire. My concern is that a failing catalytic converter or related engine damage could lead to sudden loss of power, engine failure, or fire while driving, which puts my safety and the safety of others at risk. The problem has been confirmed by an authorized kia dealer, which documented the solid check engine light and dtc p0420 on a written repair estimate. In that document, the dealer referenced recall sc176y as the possible applicable recall and noted that it would need to contact kia for coverage because the vehicle has a branded rebuilt title. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not yet performed any sc176?style ecu logic update, compression test, or catalytic converter/engine inspection on this vehicle, and the manufacturer has declined to escalate or review recall coverage for this defect. The check engine light and p0420 code remain the primary warning indicators, and they first appeared shortly before the dealer visit on the repair estimate date.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with knock sensor failure, valve cover gasket failure, and an inoperable oil pan. The contact was informed that the knock sensor, valve cover gasket and oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was released to the contact. The contact stated that within two minutes after leaving the dealer, the failure reoccurred. The check engine warning light illuminated and the engine sputtered. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a clogged catalytic convertor. The contact was informed that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 118,981.

My 2016 kia Soul (1. 6l gdi engine) experienced a catastrophic, sudden engine failure while driving, preceded by check engine light code p0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold). This exact failure sequence is the precise subject of active NHTSA safety recall campaign 19v120 (kia campaign sc176). Although the vehicle received the mandated sc176 preventative software update in 2019, the underlying mechanical defect was not cured. High exhaust gas temperatures caused the catalytic converter to degrade and fracture internally. The fractured abrasive substrate particles were then siphoned backward into the engine combustion chamber during normal valve operation. This caused immediate, severe scoring of the cylinder walls and piston damage, leading to total engine seizure and failure. This defect presents an extreme safety risk. Sudden engine failure at highway speeds causes an immediate loss of motive power, braking assistance, and power steering, significantly increasing the risk of a high-speed collision. Furthermore, fractured connecting rods or oil leakage stemming from this specific engine failure pose a severe vehicle fire hazard. The vehicle is currently held for diagnostic verification at kia riverside in California. I am filing this complaint because the manufacturer's 2019 software remedy was entirely ineffective at preventing the mechanical destruction of the engine and catalytic converter. I am requesting that the NHTSA hold kia accountable to fulfill the physical repair and replacement mandates of recall sc176 at zero cost to the consumer, regardless of the prior software logging.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Soul. The contact stated that while checking the engine oil level, the contact noticed that the vehicle was consuming excessive oil. Upon inspecting underneath the vehicle, the contact's husband did not find any leaks. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the piston oil rings needed to be replaced, and the engine was consuming excessive oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v259000 (engine); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall due to the vehicle mileage. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.