Kia Soul Complaints

406 consumer complaints on file.

#11736890May 10, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
03/17/26: Kia Soul 2022 was brought into the dealership to have the safety recall (NHTSA: 25V099; Kia: SC336) addressed. There is a description of the service that says, “Piston Oil Ring.” Dealership stated everything was "good to go" upon completion of this service. Per dealership document, causal part says “Ring Set-Piston”, Issue number SC336. Issue Type: Safety Recall; Description: Piston Oil Ring. 04/20/2026: While driving, the engine light turned red/blinking. The car was immediately pulled over to the side of the road. It was towed to the aforementioned Kia dealership via AAA. The engine needed to be replaced. Regarding the engine: Issue number SC336Y1; Issue Type: Service Campaign; Description: DTC P1327 Engine R&R. 05/05/2026: While using the car, it would not move with attempt to accelerate from a 4-way stop. The oil light and battery light were red; the engine light was orange. A message on screen displayed: “Battery discharge warning. Please use the system after starting the vehicle.” When attempting to turn the key, the engine did not make any sound. Approximately 10-12 minutes later, I went through the same steps and the car turned on. Kia dealership was notified. Upon arrival to the dealership, I was told "these things happen," "it is likely the battery," and, "The fuel saving start-stop function that cars like the Soul have can lead to this kind of thing." It was also stated that the "battery was good, but the charge was low." Finally, I was told "the car should be fine to drive, since it made its way to the dealership" without issues. I verbalized the significant safety risk and stated I needed it assessed. The car remains at the dealership, as there is no root cause and this is a major safety hazard that, notably, occurred 6 days after the engine replacement. The dealership maintains that "there is nothing that can be done." This has been escalated to Kia Corporate. No issues with car prior to engine light turning red on 04/20/26.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736602May 8, 2026
TIRES
205/60R16 Noticed that all 4 of my tires the rubber is peeling went to tire place they said they were chunking and they should not be having 23500 miles on my 2023 Kia soul tires have been rotated every 5000 or so miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736581May 8, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Weeks before the vehicle completely shut down, my car began stalling and shutting off in traffic without warning while driving. I was usually able to turn the vehicle off and restart it, and it would come back on temporarily. At red lights and stop signs, the vehicle would power down, stall, jerk forward, and then begin moving again when I pressed the accelerator. On 05/01/2026, while stopped at a red light on my way to get gas, I noticed the vehicle vibrating unusually. I made it to the gas station, filled up, and drove away. However, as I entered a heavily traveled highway, the vehicle began shaking uncontrollably and completely shut off in traffic. I was unable to restart the vehicle and had to have it towed, and later towed again to a Kia dealership/service center. The diagnostic codes identified were: * P0014:00 – Exhaust Camshaft Position Timing Over-Advanced/System Performance (Bank 1) * P0017:00 – Crankshaft Position/Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor B – Exhaust) * P0303:00 – Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected I am extremely concerned because the vehicle is only about four years old, and I purchased it a little over a year ago. I have previously taken the vehicle to Kia for recalls, including recalls related to engine issues. Based on my research and the symptoms of my vehicle, I believe the recall involving the piston oil rings may be related to the camshaft and crankshaft issues now occurring. I am concerned this may represent an additional safety-related defect or recall issue that has not yet been fully recognized by Kia. I am submitting this complaint to bring awareness to this issue and request that a proper investigation be conducted before more drivers experience a dangerous failure in traffic. I would also like to request direct follow-up regarding my specific vehicle and this incident. Due to the seriousness of the failure and the safety risk of the vehicle shutting down in active traffic, I believe my vehicle should be reviewed as part o
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736494May 8, 2026
ENGINE
The check engine light came on. I took the jar to Kia and also requested for the piston recall to be repaired. I was denied due to an expired warranty. The engine stalled and stopped suddenly while driving in the street. Soon the care was no longer drivable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736143May 6, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. All of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734807April 30, 2026
ENGINE
My 2022 Kia Soul with a 2.0 Litre Engine is consuming lots of oil, I'm having to ad a quart every day. I have check engine lights for the catalytic converter and engine missfires. The car has always consumed oil between oil changes since I bought it new in 2022, and its gotten progressively worse. I've maintained the car as required by the manufacturer and have topped up the oil when low. I had the dealer perform an oil consumption test in June 0f 2025 at 60,275 miles. After 1000 miles the Dealer determined the car was consuming 8/10ths of a quart of oil after 1000. The dealer informed mt that Kia only considered 1 quart of oil or more after 1000 miles to be a problem. So I continued to change oil and top it off as necessary. The car continued to consume more and more oil, and I contacted Kia Customer Service In June, November, December of 2025 regarding the increasing oil consumption problem. In April I contacted Kia Customer service again stating the oil consumption had gotten much worse. The took my information an said someone woul call me. I called them again 5 days later and told them I had a check engine light regarding an engis miss and Catalytic convert code, and asked the expedite the call back. I've spoken with the expedited service person three times since the 25th of april and informed the that I'm having to add 1 gt of oil daily. The expedited serviec person informed me that Kia would not provide me with a loaner car or rental reimbursement until it was determined by Kia that there is a problem with the engine. She also said I should drop the car off and leave it with the Dealer, and call her back when I've done so. My car has 77731 miles on it, I've never missed and oil change, and I've always kept it topped off. I'm concerned the catalytic converter will plug up and leave me stranded, or worse, result in an engine fire!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734083April 27, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Intermittent failure of multiple safety‑critical Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) while driving. Forward collision avoidance, lane safety, and other driver‑assist features disable simultaneously without warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734070April 27, 2026
POWER TRAIN
took to kia of jackson for recall sc209a they said they would not do recall because i was a dealer ,called customer service and they said do to the fact that i was a dealer it would not be covered kia of jackson [XXX] kia customer service case [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733594April 24, 2026
ENGINE
On [XXX], the check engine light illuminated. No other warning indicators activated — no low oil pressure warning, no low oil level warning, no driver alert of any kind regarding engine condition. On [XXX], at approximately 53,845 miles, the vehicle began running rough. I checked the engine oil and found the dipstick registered empty — no measurable oil in the engine. No low oil level or low oil pressure warning had been provided by the vehicle at any point prior to this discovery. I added two quarts of oil. The vehicle stalled while being driven to obtain the oil, and stalled again after the oil was added. I drove the vehicle to Jiffy Lube and had a full oil change performed. Mileage at the oil change was 53,852. I then scheduled an appointment with Gervais Kia in Lowell, Massachusetts, the nearest Kia dealer, less than one mile from my home. The earliest available appointment was approximately one week later. Because the vehicle stalled repeatedly at idle, I drove it to the dealer using both feet — keeping engine revs elevated with the accelerator while braking — to prevent stalling at stops. The vehicle is currently at Gervais Kia for diagnostic inspection. The symptoms match the failure mode documented in NHTSA recall campaign 25V-099 (Kia recall for 2021-2023 Soul and Seltos with 2.0L Nu MPI engines, piston oil ring manufacturing defect). My vehicle has the 2.0L Nu MPI engine and was manufactured at the Kia Autoland Hwaseong plant identified in the recall filing. However, my VIN does not appear in the current recall population per NHTSA VIN lookup and Kia’s recall lookup. The recall remedy includes installation of Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software specifically because the defect provides no driver warning before failure — consistent with my experience, in which the engine ran empty of oil with no warning whatsoever. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733263April 23, 2026
ENGINE
My 2021 Kia Soul experienced repeated overheating despite replacement of major cooling system components including the thermostat and water pump. The vehicle continued to overheat and was later diagnosed by a Kia dealership with engine damage requiring full engine replacement. This failure occurred around 105,000 miles. The symptoms and failure pattern are consistent with known issues affecting similar Kia engines, yet my VIN is not included in any recall. I am concerned this represents a broader defect that may not be fully captured in current recalls.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733186April 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
This 2024 Kia soul, 2 issues 1. the instrument cluster does not show, when turning the vehicle on the instrument cluster is blank, meaning I cannot see the speed limit, how much fuel or use any adaptive features, braking, lane departure, cruise control, etc ****this creates a dangerous situation and I do not believe the car is safe to drive**** I see there is a recall for this issue on 2023 models Kia 23V298000 Kia SC270 2. Intermittent window issues with the automatic windows, when opening from the driver side the windows will not come back up, have to pull over and turn vehicle on and off and /or try to close the windows from each door individually I called to report this to Kia at [XXX] and asked them to repair both and they were not much help, I asked this be reported and am not confident the person will actually do so They did tell me there were issues already noted which I requested be raised to a technical service bulletin or a recall and extend the warranty for all affected vehicles thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732502April 20, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned? The engine (piston rings) and catalytic converter failed. The catalytic converter is available for inspection upon request. How was safety put at risk? The engine ran low on oil without any external leak, causing warning lights and engine rattling. Low oil pressure can lead to sudden engine seizure or fire. The failed catalytic converter can clog, causing loss of power on highways and increasing the risk of a crash. Has the problem been confirmed by a dealer or independent shop? Yes. A Kia dealer found the engine 2 quarts low, with no external leak, and recommended replacing the catalytic converter at a cost of over $6,000. An independent mechanic confirmed code P0420, which indicates catalytic converter failure. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer? The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Kia dealer, but they did not complete the required inspection for Recall SC336 (defective piston oil rings). They did add the software. Were there warning lamps or other symptoms? Yes. The oil pressure warning light and other dashboard lights came on. The engine made a rattling noise. The vehicle later felt sluggish on acceleration, fuel economy dropped, and the exhaust developed a smell. The check engine light came on and later turned off, but code P0420 was stored in the system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732207April 19, 2026
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car stalled with no precursors. The engine and oil was maintain but the engined stall with out smoke or mixed oil. This error falls directly under the recall for pistion rings that cause engine failure. I brought my vehicle to Archer Kia and after two-three months of waited for the recall repair they stated that they could not repair the failed engine under the recall that causes failed engines.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732120April 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The car rpm fluctuated from 1000 to 5000 rpm while in cruise control going 65 mph. At a stop, thr transmission took 30 seconds to engage to low speed. The car was stuttering and bucking at 10mph to 45mph
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731690April 16, 2026
ENGINE
the engine is consuming a quart of oil per thousand miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731425April 15, 2026
ENGINE
Hi my vehicle was stolen and the police found the vehicle. The car was damaged part of the damages was a broken ignition. I am unable to fix the damages until I get paid from the kia classaction lawsuit. The car still starts and stays running. I have the key for the car but I have been starting the car was butter knife bc it's easier then the key. I made an appointment to have the oil piston ring looked at. When I brought it I. They refused to look at it bc it has a broken ignition. I don't think the safety recall has anything to do w the ignition. The car is easy to turn on and shut off. I wouldn't care if my car wasn't stalling at traffic lights. My car is going thru a lot of oil. I am not working currently. This car was purchased for me by my dad. He paid cash for it. He bought it bc I had just been diagnosed w a rare autoimmune disease. He bought it so I would have something safe and reliable to drive in. We have had nothing g but problems since day 1. All I wanted was for them to look at it so im not going to be in harms way. Idk what to do the dealership said they cant look at it until I fixed the ignition. But like I said I won't have money to do that until I get the class action lawsuit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731412April 15, 2026
ENGINE
I am filing a complaint regarding a safety recall (NHTSA Recall 25V099) on my 2021 Kia Soul that was marked as completed, but the defect was not properly repaired. On 3/17/26, I took my vehicle to a Kia dealership to have the recall addressed. The dealership performed only a software update and diagnostic testing and marked the recall as complete. No engine repair or replacement was performed. Within approximately one week of this recall service, my engine suffered a catastrophic failure while driving, resulting in a hole in the engine block and total engine failure. This created a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power and fire hazard. I then had the vehicle inspected by a second Kia dealership. They informed me that the engine failure was consistent with the defect described in recall 25V099 (piston oil ring failure) and that the prior recall repair did not correct the underlying issue. This indicates that the recall remedy performed on my vehicle was incomplete or ineffective, and that the vehicle was returned to me in an unsafe condition. I am concerned that other vehicles may be receiving only software updates without proper inspection or repair, which could lead to similar dangerous failures. I am requesting that this situation be investigated as a failed recall remedy and a continued safety risk. Timeline: 3/17/26: Recall repair performed (software update only) 3/29/26: Engine failed catastrophically 4/2/26: Second dealership confirmed failure related to recall defect
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730709April 12, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Manufacturer defect: Massive paint delamination/adhesion failure on the roof. Large sheets of paint are flaking off while the vehicle is in motion, creating a debris hazard for following drivers and distracting the operator. The failure has exposed the bare metal structure, which may lead to premature rusting.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730043April 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Mi carro hay veces que prende la luz de la engine, lo lleve a checar y salió en la computadora que era un problema de Power Train system, que era secondary DTCs P1C28 Y P1C28000, lo busque en Google y salía que era un problema muy recurrente en Kias souls y sorentos. Que podría causar incendios
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730033April 8, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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