10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,618 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

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2016 Kia Soul Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

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

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

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 -??fixture-??

- Atlanta, GA, USA

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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

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

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

problem #66

Aug 012022

Soul

  • miles

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

Ignition DESIGN MAKE (Kia Soul) MY2016 KIA SOUL EASY TO STEAL ON 8/2/2022 When I woke to go to my work my back passengers window was broken.police was call during the investigation the officer showed my steering wheel dis connected not able to drive. Due to Kia not warning consumers that their cars are easy to steal has cost me deductible and rental fees to get to work. My car has not began to be service due to the back log of repairs for this incident that is not the consumer fault even if the car repaired is not safe because its target along with posting on social media how to steal kia cars in 30seconds and Kia Boys tik-tok challenge.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #65

Jul 102022

Soul

  • miles
While driving to work vehicle oil light started flashing and vehicle started making metal on metal noises and vehicle would not accelerate. I pulled over, turned off the engine. The vehicle would not start again. Took vehicle to a mechanic and he told me that I needed a new engine. I went to the dealer when I found out about the recall. I was told they couldn't do anything for me because I never had the car serviced there.

- Orlando , FL, USA

problem #64

Jul 132022

Soul

  • miles
my car starting making knocking noises and as im on the interstate my speed was 70 but I was not going 70 and I never had any trouble out of my car

- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

problem #63

Jul 012021

Soul

  • miles
Vehicle is constantly burning oil. I have zero engine leaks, no oil spots on engine. Where is the oil going. I took it to Kia. They said it was a catalytic converter. Oil loss and p040 code are incorrect. Misdiagnosed. Possible pcv problem. Bought from widrick in Watertown NY.

- Carthage , NY, USA

problem #62

Feb 082022

Soul

  • miles
Check engine on. Code of catalytic converter. It was changed at Velazquez auto repair in Milwaukee WI, but now the engine is burning oil fast it lasts less than 2000 miles after each oil and filter change. I can't afford another car and Im disabled. My VIN is not included in the recall but my car was impacted, I've spent $1,780 on the catalytic converter already.Please help!

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #61

Jun 292022

Soul

  • miles
Coming home from town our 2016 Kia Soul lost power. The engine light came on flashing then we could not accelerate the gas pedal. It would not go over 55 mph even if I had the pedal to the floor. I checked recall and it says none. I was reading the other complaints from Kia owners. They are having the same issue. It should be a recall. This needs investigated. We-??ve only had ours since May 2022. Kia needs to make this right. I know I probably won-??t buy another Kia.

- Fairbanks, IN, USA

problem #60

Jun 302022

Soul

  • 126,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, when he heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. When the contact arrived at home the vehicle shut down and would not restart. The battery was replaced but the failure reoccurred again. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer or the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 126,000.

- Columbus, IN, USA

problem #59

Apr 262022

Soul

  • miles
On a rainy night, I lost all external visibility due to excessive condensation on the front windshield and the other windows on the car seemingly made worse by utilizing the de-fogger on my car. Of the result of this, I ended up in opposing lanes of traffic and narrowly avoided head on collisions with several vehicles. I am a professional driver with thousands of hours behind the wheel and I know how to react in nearly every emergency situation due to advanced experience and quality training. Upon further research, I discovered that this issue is amongst the more commonly reported complaints on the soul forums most commonly attributed to a design flaw in the Air conditioner drain where the drain line is built too small and tends to become clogged. Component failure: AC Drain Line. Safety risk: complete loss of external visibility resulting in high potential for a head on collision with opposing traffic. Reproduction: Unknown. Inspected: no MILs Illuminated: none.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #58

May 202022

Soul

  • miles
My car has been shaking some while I-??m sitting still at for example a red light. My car does not shift properly when I-??m trying to increase speed. There is no check engine light on but it-??s definitely something wrong with my car.

- Elgin, SC, USA

problem #57

Apr 152022

Soul

  • miles
The Catalytic Convertor clogged and issues with excess oil consumption This is an issue I have seen and heard of from many other Kia Soul owners as well. I have the repair bill if needed

- Marshall, WI, USA

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