What 802 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Soul EV

Engine stalled on me while going 60mph on the freeway to almost 20 mph. Check Engine light flashed twice. Engine is now knocking.

NHTSA ODI 11535651

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine stall duo to faulty Piston rods. Probable cause of faulty Piston Rods is insufficient oil level. May also damage the crankshaft and cause the engine to seize. I have proof of oil changes on time and the car has only 92000 mile on it. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle may stall and shut off in the middle of the road unexpectedly which may cause an accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

NHTSA ODI 11533569

We have a p0420 code with check engine light on (catalyst below threshold) with unusual oil consumption. We have been refused a replacement of the catalytic converter which is failing and may or may not have caused severe engine damage. Engine is going through an unusual high amount of oil with no oil leaks. Contacted Kia NA on July 21st and was told the cat was not covered even though it's failing and we have recall notices coming in the mail.

NHTSA ODI 11533624

I have a Kia Soul that is under the engine warranty recall. I was able to drive my vehicle while working with Kia to document issues with my engine. Today I was informed that my catalytic converters are clogged and that is what is causing my vehicle issues, not my engine. The only way my catalytic converters could be clogged would be from faulty engine, but Kia is denying any issue with my engine (that is under warranty) and instructing me to continue driving my vehicle. My vehicle is unable to maintain speed, shakes violently after running 5 minutes, and dies frequently. It is not a safe vehicle to drive on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11533490

The check engine light came on a day after i bought the car and never went off it read for several code’s including a catalytic converter fuel cap timing solenoid all which I replaced and the light still was on after oil changes it was discovered there is a low oil condition and the engine needed to be replaced and a few months later the car stopped running and it needs a new engine the dealership knowingly sold that vehicle to me in that condition and they won’t even fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11533289

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the check engine warning light started blinking and the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 149,400.

NHTSA ODI 11533024

All the paint and clear coats pealing no other car we own do not have this problem and are much older... this car is not even paid for and the paint is destroyed... the car only has 55000 miles

NHTSA ODI 11532451

Due to no warning of a recall on my 2016 Kia soul both catalytic converters stopped up. Tried for weeks to get assistance with Kia motors but no assistance brought my car in twice when they said they would fix it sat at the dealership from 8am when they opened until approximately 4 pm before they closed only to be called and asked to return for a second all day long wait. Due to no warnings that my car had a recall and no assistance from the company I've had nothing but issue after issue and can no longer afford to completely fix the car. One issue including being stranded 10 hours away from home!

NHTSA ODI 11532194

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.

NHTSA ODI 11532291

The catalytic system began breaking apart and throwing an engine light error. The system progressively got worse until it lead to complete failure not allowing the fuel system to work nor the vehicle to be able to accelerate.

NHTSA ODI 11531612

The vehicle suddenly stalls while in traffic without notice. It has to be put in on park, turned completely off, and then restarted. People behind my car almost rear end my vehicle causing a collision. Highly unsafe. This has happened numerous times usually after being stopped at a traffic light or stop sign.

NHTSA ODI 11531048

Ive gotten 3-4 tuneups every year for the past 4 years. Each year the car randomly shuts off and start running rough they change the coil packs and the spark plugs but every year I drive locally and not far yearly but I still have to get tune ups, 3rd party insurance and state farm spent a total of 12-14k of electrical wiring the doors were controlling the A/C the lights would flicker when trying to turn on A/C. The windows stopped working wouldnt go up or down, the A/C heat wouldnt work this was work everything new and rewired Kia of Anderson kept the car for 4-5 weeks and I had to turn around 2 days later bring it back because the doors and A/C and heat repeated the same thing, they changed the door panel on driver side and 4-5 months ago A/C heat stopped working randomly while my kids were waiting on bus one moring and couldnt use the heat...contacting Kia they said they were booked for a couple of weeks then, I would call get voicemails over and over and then I finally drove up there and they stated it may be the air resistor but then, under the car i hit a ditch where road work was being done on a one way in one way out street for 3 months cause the already loose muffler to cause the rest of the vehicle to not work. The A/C when on my son nose bleeds everytime if we are in the car for longer than 45 min to an hour. My daughter get migraines headaches dizzy spells when A/C heat is on, so do i. Also there is a random weird smell randomly off and on not everyday but atleast 12 days out of the month...scared to drive the car sometimes. Last week twice the car shut off once on the bridge randomly and then turned back on. Also, if i drive the car for more than 30-45 min my left leg swells with fluid never happened in any other vehicle...random devices can connect to my radio without me authorizing it..strange but i can wake up and have to delete a Windows or MAC desktop from radio, when using the radio the same ads play over and over not sure why we have to turn it

NHTSA ODI 11531103

6/26/23 found I had a fuel leak on top of gas tank. Didn't get fixed until the next day. Drove home just to discover a 2nd leak at the hose the following day the 29th. The dealership,that I actually work at, told me to drive it as is until the backorder part comes in approximately 3-5 days. It's now the 5th of July and it is not fixed. I'm asthmatic and have COPD and live in Florida.

NHTSA ODI 11530513

Engine is consuming large amounts of oil. One quart every 500 miles and getting worse.

NHTSA ODI 11529333

During normal driving operation, the car makes a loud bang and the drive system shuts down. The dash lights remain on indicating that the main drive battery needs to be checked. I've had to coast to the side of the road each time as there is no power at all. When I shut the car down and restart it, it drives normally. This happens at least once a week. I try to drive the car only in low traffic conditions. This has happened in places where I couldn't pull out of the traffic lanes and caused traffic to pile up behind me. I called the dealer the first time it happened and was told they didn't understand what it could be.

NHTSA ODI 11528891

My 2016 soul burst into flames following a loud explosion in the engine compartment. The vehicle is a total loss; but, the fire department extinguished the fire before the flames reached the fuel tank. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine and No How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Could have easily been killed had I not recognised the symptoms immediately and had the time to react. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Irrellavent. The vehicle caught fire. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. There is nothing left to inspect. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Only seconds before.

NHTSA ODI 11529031

My friend and I picked up a kayak that I bought and we had to put it in the car. When she was in the car I had to fasten the seat belt for her. We got it home and removed it from the vehicle, I had to unfastened the seat belt. When I took her home, the seat belt would not pull out. I still cannot pull out the seat belt. I contacted the dealership and they told me that it would have to be replaced at a cost of $700, which includes the labor. They said that it wasn't under the warranty to replace it. My understanding is that you would have to replace the seatbelt if you had been in an accident, which I have not. I am taking it in tomorrow in hopes that they can fix it and not have to replace it. Anyway, I hope no one else is having this problem.

NHTSA ODI 11528774

Excessive oil consumption-1 quart of oil every 400-600miles. This had been verified by a certified mechanic. The excessive oil consumption has destroyed the catalytic converter, code 420. The check engine light has been on since 95k miles. Spark plugs had to be replaced sooner than normal because they were covered w oil. Tail pipe has oil encrusted on the inside. While starting from a complete stop after 15 minutes of driving the car lost power and would not go over 45mph. Going up hill dropped to 15 mph. This has been replicated by a mechanic.

NHTSA ODI 11528657

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact checked the oil level and became aware that the vehicle was low on oil. The contact added oil, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 151,748.

NHTSA ODI 11528120

Vehicle is experiencing oil &/or carbon-like debree exiting out of the exhaust system. There are no warning indicators of any kind displaying. The car has regularly been taken to the dealership for service and maintenance problems. Motor has documented record of oil consumption due to testing at dealership. This is currently the second catalytic converter to be replaced. I have all receipts for work performed.

NHTSA ODI 11528224

Bought 2016 Kia Soul one year ago (May 2022) with 79k miles. Feb 2023 engine light came on. Took it to Kia service center & they reset it and told us to come back if light came back on. It did along with oil change light (June 2023, 92k miles). We were told it had no oil, it was consuming oil, sludge in motor and there was nothing they could do. Service mgr told us to check oil level regularly, top it off as needed and get regular oil changes and if/when it failed, then they would replace engine under new lawsuit settlement (extended warranty to 15yr/150k). We consulted another mechanic and he said it is faulty piston rings that caused oil consumption, that caused low oil and that ultimately caused possible sludge. Why aren't they fixing the problem instead of waiting until the engine fails? Probably because they were waiting to see if your engine fails after 15yr/150k mile warranty expires. New lawsuit in the works regarding oil consumption because it's happening to a lot of KIAs.

NHTSA ODI 11527885

Catalytic converters needed to be replaced

NHTSA ODI 11527942

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced; however, the dealer declined the repair due to the mileage exceeding 80,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11527145

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shifted into LIMP Mode and decelerated to approximately 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the oxygen sensor and catalytic convertor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The oxygen sensor and catalytic convertor was replaced on three separate occasions however, the failure persisted. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11526736

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated violently and lost motive power. The contact stated that while accelerating, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic failed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526858