10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
31,946 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Kia Soul miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2016 Kia Soul:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2016 Kia Soul Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #86

Jul 012023

Soul

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car has less than 89,000 miles on it. Both catalytic converters went out starting on July 2023. Contacted Kia. Brought it in the the dealership I bought it from. Kia denied the claim stating it's out of warranty. I bought the car little over a year ago. Kia will only fix the car if I pay $2400. Contacted Kia customer support. Was still denied. Every mechanic I spoke with said the cats should not have gone out. Contacted Kia again for a reconsideration. Have not heard back.

- Joliet , IL, USA

problem #85

Nov 032020

Soul

  • miles
I have had a catalytic convert failure 3 times in 4 years. The first was repaired with the recall on may of 2019. It was replaced at a Kia dealership, with Kia parts. I had my vehicle at the dealership a month prior due to it not running correctly. The second replacement of the catalytic converter was on November of 2020. I was driving on the interstate very early in the morning when my vehicle slowed to 15 mph, no warning lights came on. I had several other vehicles come very close to hitting me. I was able to exit the interstate which took a lengthy amount of time due to my vehicle slowly losing speed. When I was able to pull over to a safe spot my vehicle quit all together. I had it towed to the same Kia dealership. They looked it over and found the converter failed again. It was replaced with Kia parts. I have taken my vehicle in once again due to it stopped running while I was at work. The same dealership has found that for the 3rd time my catalytic converter has failed. I have also replaced all spark plugs and coil packs on this vehicle twice in less than a year due to it misfiring. My engine is also somehow burning oil exponentially. This leads me to believe there is something wrong with my vehicles engine. I also believe something is wrong with Kia parts that they only last a little over a year.

- Newalla, OK, USA

problem #84

Aug 212023

Soul

  • miles
I have a 2016 Kia Soul with 1.6L engine. I am the 2nd owner. The previous owner got the knock sensor update but the catalytic converter still failed after the update. Now I have a flashing engine light and P1326 code along with the P40 code for faulty catalytic converter. There is a recall for 2016 Kia Soul engines but when I go to the Kia site and type in my VIN there is no recall showing for my VIN even though I own a 2016 Kia Soul. I think this is wrong and should be corrected. Also Kia keeps telling me that they won't fix my catalytic converter because it falls outside the 80k mile warranty. I am at 90k miles. Yet, the knock sensor was updated and there is currently a recall. The recall should supercede the warranty in this instance. Also I took the car in to have the Kia dealer diagnose my knocking engine and 1326 code. They are saying that even though my car isn't drivable and The engine is malfunctioning, because my car didn't fail the piston ring test I don't qualify for the engine recall repair. All of this is unfair. If my car is exhibiting all the signs that the engine is about to blow why do I have to drive my car until it actually does blow before something can be done? This is unsafe not only for me but others as well. Not to it's completely unfair to me as a consumer who purchased this car in good faith. Kia needs to update ALL Vin numbers instead of consumers having to find out the hard way that there is indeed a recall on their vehicle. Dealerships should be part of the process of updating the manufacturer of new owners information so that new owners can be notified of any recalls. It makes no sense that only the first owner gets information regardless if they still own the vehicle or not. Lastly I would like to reiterate; Kia telling people they have zero recalls on cars that ARE actually part of a recall is outright lying. Kia needs to post ALL recall information to their website regardless to if you input your VIN # By not doing this they Lie

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #83

Jun 262023

Soul

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The panoramic sunroof exploded while the vehicle was being driven. Thankfully the cover was closed so the glass did not fall down on the passenger of the vehicle.

- Crown City, OH, USA

problem #82

Jun 072023

Soul

  • miles
The car continues to lose oil. The catalytic converter was replaced. An Independent service area made note of oil leakage. No parts were necessary to correct this problem. The oil pan and any seals were intact. Car maintenance is on time and up to date. Many Oil changes were performed at KIA dealership. The car started making a knocking noise and was unable to accelerate over 20 mph. My check engine light then came on after the occurrence. There was no warning. I was on a highway with speeds of 45 mph when my car started to malfunction. Emergency lights were immediately turned on to prevent rear-end collision. I was alone and stranded at 10:00 p.m. I will obtain receipts of repair and submit as soon as possible.

- Lowell, IN, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #81

May 232023

Soul

  • miles
While driving my car it started slowing down all at once like it wasn't getting gas, to about 10 mph. I was traveling approximately 55 mph. The vehicle that was behind me almost rear ended me. Had it checked and they told me that it was related to the cadillac converter (02) system. It needed replaced.

- Huntsville , TN, USA

problem #80

May 092023

Soul

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The catalytic converter, which is a known issue for Kia Soul models from 2012-2016 has started to show signs of failure- namely code P0420. This is despite having the apparent -??fix-?? as detailed in Kia recall SC176, which was a mere software update. Now that the converter has shown signs of failure, Kia refuses to honor the replacement as stated in the recall since the vehicle is above 80,000 miles. Clearly, the recall did not fix the issue.

- Land O Lakes, FL, USA

problem #79

Apr 152023

Soul

  • miles
Car cuts off when idling. I took it to the mechanic several times and they produced the issue once but could not diagnose and would give it back to me at no charge. When it cuts off the RPMs will sometimes stay at 0 even when I start the car again. Sometimes the check engine light will come on along with the traction light. Mechanic said it shows catalytic codes but said nothing is wrong with catalytic converter. They said they can-??t find anything wrong to warrant repair. The check engine and traction control lights stay on and then go off randomly. The car cuts off at stop lights and today it cut off when I was turning right at a stop sign. I was already out in the road and someone was behind me. Thankfully no one was coming down the road at full speed. I am afraid to drive the car but no one knows what is wrong with it or how to fix it.

- King, NC, USA

problem #78

Feb 172023

Soul

  • miles
2/17/23 Car was disabled on highway lost speed in the middle of traffic and could not go over 20MPH at dealership- it was confirmed that catalytic convertor went out. 2/23/23 Car CC was replaced picked it up and noticed weird sound from engine 2/24/23 Car returned to dealership 3/3/23 Dealership stated the engine was bad 3/13/23 We were informed that KIA would not cover the repairs and we had to pay $5700 4/3/23 Dealership called and said car was ready to be picked up Car has 78,000 miles on it and has been well maintained - we have all of the service records We understand there is a class action lawsuit where high exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic convertor, resulting in abnormal engine combustion damaging the engine. We have been told that our engine did not qualify under the VIN number that we had. KIA has had known engine problems for over 12 years and we feel that the CC damaged the engine and this is what caused the failure. There were no warning signs, no smoke out of the exhaust etc We just keep getting the run around saying that our VIN was not part of the recall even though our engine had only 78,000 miles and it was very well maintained. Please let us know if we can get any help in paying for this huge expense

- Peoria, AZ, USA

problem #77

Aug 272022

Soul

  • miles
I have been having issues with oil consumption since early fall 2022. I am the sole owner of my Kia Soul Plus and have had multiple oil consumption tests performed. I found out I had an oil consumption problem when my car shut off WITHOUT WARNING on the highway. Luckily this happened around midnight when there wasn't a lot of traffic. I contacted the dealer and they did an oil consumption test, which it "passed" because the dipstick indicated there was still oil in the engine. After the first one, I started to monitor my car and it seems like a little past the 1k mark does the dipstick indicate there's no oil. I've done like 3 tests with the dealer, and I think the last one that was performed I think they put too much oil in it. I say this because when I checked the oil -- when the car sat for awhile to cool off-- there was oil past the fill line on the dipstick. When I asked about it, they made it seem like I invalidated the test because I simply checked the oil. I was also told to not check the oil when the car has been sitting. So now, I check it at different times; when it has and has not been sitting (when I get gas). What ended up happening was the guy just read the dipstick right there in front of me, said it was fine, topped of the oil and said I was good to go. I think they did this the second time as well but didn't think to check the oil level then. I also noticed oil stains/residue on my engine cover and asked the dealer about it, but received no answer. It seems like the oil stains are getting worse -- more prominent. My car currently has 92k miles on it and have been trying to figure out the issue as this is a HUGE safety issue to me and my family. On multiple occasions I have found that my car has had low oil in it and carry oil in the back of my car just in case. After doing research, I'm glad to see I'm not alone but also that this is a known issue but I feel like the dealer is waiting for my warranty to expire before anything gets taken seriously.

- Riverside, OH, USA

problem #76

Aug 272022

Soul

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been having issues with oil consumption since early fall 2022. I am the sole owner of my Kia Soul Plus and have had multiple oil consumption tests performed. I found out I had an oil consumption problem when my car shut off WITHOUT WARNING on the highway. Luckily this happened around midnight when there wasn't a lot of traffic. I contacted the dealer and they did an oil consumption test, which it "passed" because the dipstick indicated there was still oil in the engine. After the first one, I started to monitor my car and it seems like a little past the 1k mark does the dipstick indicate there's no oil. I've done like 3 tests with the dealer, and I think the last one that was performed I think they put too much oil in it. I say this because when I checked the oil -- when the car sat for awhile to cool off-- there was oil past the fill line on the dipstick. When I asked about it, they made it seem like I invalidated the test because I simply checked the oil. I was also told to not check the oil when the car has been sitting. So now, I check it at different times; when it has and has not been sitting (when I get gas). What ended up happening was the guy just read the dipstick right there in front of me, said it was fine, topped of the oil and said I was good to go. I think they did this the second time as well but didn't think to check the oil level then. I also noticed oil stains/residue on my engine cover and asked the dealer about it, but received no answer. It seems like the oil stains are getting worse -- more prominent. My car currently has 92k miles on it and have been trying to figure out the issue as this is a HUGE safety issue to me and my family. On multiple occasions I have found that my car has had low oil in it and carry oil in the back of my car just in case. After doing research, I'm glad to see I'm not alone but also that this is a known issue but I feel like the dealer is waiting for my warranty to expire before anything gets taken seriously.

- Riverside, OH, USA

problem #75

Dec 052022

Soul

  • 123,639 miles
Our car was sold to us not knowing about a recall. It was taken to a local Kia. The car dealership says they didn-€™t know. It-€™s already had a replaced catalytic converter and didn-€™t fix the problem. Our engine light, ABS light and a skidding light come on and off. No one will listen to us. We don-€™t know what to do next.

- Fairbanks , IN, USA

problem #74

Nov 242022

Soul

  • miles
The paint of the vehicle has just started to come off the car in chunks.

- White City, OR, USA

problem #73

Nov 202022

Soul 4-cyl

  • miles
My car has a recall and a class action suit. I had my Kia serviced on Sept 19th, 2022 at Tire Kingdom, to include a full synthetic oil change, cabin filter replaced, engine filter replaced, new brakes, and tires. On Oct 18th as I drove into my home the oil light came on. I checked the oil and it was very low. I contacted Tire Kingdom and they said add oil and bring it in on Oct 21st 2022 at 10:00 AM. After buying oil, I was driving to Tire Kingdom. I entered Hwy 582 and in approx 2 to 3 miles all the gauges came on and the temperature gauge was on High. I immediately lost power and thankfully I was able to get off the highway as smoke completely blocked my visibility. It was cold and rainy and very dangerous as cars flew by me and my dog. Finally, the tow truck came. My vehicle is currently at Kia East in Orlando and they are charging me $250 to diagnose my car. My 2016 Kia Soul Vin number [XXX] has several recalls and a civil lawsuit. I have taken very good care of my car and this is very serious. I do not feel that I should be responsible for rebuilding or replacing my engine. The recall describes exactly what happened to my car. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #72

Nov 162022

Soul

  • miles
I purchased my vehicle back in 2021 and I notice that the recall for the catalytic converter so I check my car reports and don-€™t see where it was replaced or service I recently went to get a check engine diagnostic and the code read p0420 which is problems with catalytic converter no one has been the owner of the vehicle since 2018 and I-€™m not sure if it was replace or replace incorrectly I shouldn-€™t be experiencing difficulties and I haven-€™t reached over 100,000 miles since the previous mileage @ the timing of the recall -€œfixture-€

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #71

Oct 232022

Soul 4-cyl

  • miles
Catalytic Converter kept getting hot, was at dealership for a recall on engine in May 2022, light kept coming on and off. October 3, 2022 broke down on freeway for the Catalytic took to mechanic spent $1200 for repair on Catalytic converter, oil and spark plugs, within a day kept burning oil, by Sunday, October 23, 2022 broke down on freeway again and engine fried and burned piston #2 - I have many receipts for oil changes every 3k miles, always keep car maintained and have a notebook for everything I have repaired. The headlights and brake lights went out a month ago and never did get the brake bar light replaced. The passenger window motor is shot and the airbag light is on. Currently, it's at the dealership parked and I am waiting for Corporate to give a go ahead to say it's a go to fix it, and I'm missing work and will loose my job without having a car. So I am asking why is my car not on the recall list if I am having the same issues as the recalled 2016 Kia Souls are having. I haven't had the car very long and I had a 2009 Kia Sportage LX that is still going over 330k miles it's way better than these Souls. They all need to be sent back to the dealership and destroyed. Shame on Kia Corporation for allowing these 2016 cars on the market and shame on the Dealership to sell me this car back in August 2019. People are out here struggling and only shows the Corporations stay strong and the little guys loose. What kind of crap is that" Why isn't my car on the VIN RECALL LIST? PLEASE TELL ME" I'M JUST LUCKY THE CAR DIDN'T START FIRE, BECAUSE IT BURNED PISTON #2

- Burbank, CA, USA

problem #70

Sep 202022

Soul

  • miles
Catalytic converter is bad

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #69

Sep 152022

Soul

  • miles
VEHICLE STARTED FIRE. while driving we smelt a weird burning smell but went away we got off the highway and smelled it again but couldn't figure it out opened the hood and flame came up from back side of engine I was able to dump water on it and extinguish the fire then I noticed the cause of the fire the rubber strip under the hood towards back side of the motor somehow came off and fell into engine compartment laying across front pipe and exhaust manifold. Luckily no damage to vehicle

- Plant City, FL, USA

problem #68

Sep 132022

Soul

  • miles
Check engine light stays on parts house said catalliconverter bad dealer said it's not covered car only has 112000 also said that the steering not covered now what

- Lawton, OK, USA

problem #67

Sep 012022

Soul

  • miles
My car went out on me and was towed to the shop on Thursday 9/1/2022. I was told by the shop that I have been taking my car to for 15 years the catalytic converters were stopped up. I got online and looked up my car and found there was a recall issued on it. I never received anything telling me there had been or I would have taken it in for repair. This is what I found online.... MARCH 4, 2019 Kia is recalling 2012-2016 Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion, damage to the engine's pistons, and possible piston connecting rod failure. Engine damage can also stall the engine or result in an oil leak, which increases the risk of vehicle fires. I called Kia Covington Pike and talked with the service department and was told there was nothing they could do. I also talked to a supervisor there and was told the same thing and that the warranty had expired. I looked up do car recalls ever expired and this is what I found. When a manufacturer issues a recall for a car because of factory errors or faults, it fixes all affected vehicles for free. But what happens if you only learn that they recalled your vehicle several years after the recall announcement? You may be worried that the dealer would charge you for the repair since the recall was announced a while ago. Car recalls don-€™t expire. So according to this my car is still covered under the recall. Since Kia did not offer for me to bring it in and have them take care of the repair at no charge, I am asking when I get the bill for having my car repaired that Kia reimburse me for their error. I am writing to the Consumer Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to file a complaint. This repair is costing me $1500 which I had to borrow from the company I work because I didn't have the money.

- Memphis, TN, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?