What 802 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Soul EV

The rotating contactor switch for the heat/air conditioning fan on the dashboard appears to get very hot on the internal side. This resulted in discoloration of the plugs on the back side of the control panel, and melting of the contactor housing within the control box. No modifications have been made to this system to my knowledge, and no fuses were burned out prior to the dial failing, due to the melting plastic creating an air gap between the contactor terminals. Half of the plastic on the housing appears to be a heat resistant glass reinforced polyamide, and the (melted) half appears to be made of standard ABS plastic. This implies engineering expected this component to get hot, but still cut costs irresponsibly by using cheaper ABS in hope that the other half of this component would not get hot enough to melt (or potentially catch fire, had the plastic not melted away in a fashion that simply disconnected the contactors). I believe this case is not unique, as failures of this component appear common online. However I believe the true cause of failure (and potential risk of fire from the heat) has not yet been identified due to this contactor being located within a sealed control board assembly.

NHTSA ODI 11455949

Catalytic converters are plugged. Vehicle slowed down. Unable to keep speed up on highway.

NHTSA ODI 11455051

2/1/22 Vehicle was taken in for a power issue or transmission issue. Manahawkin Kia, NJ service department determined it to be a Catalytic Convertor clog. with a estimated $2,230 to replace. Dealership allegedly did 360 service check. The vehicle was taken home for second opinions. Other certified independent mechanics agreed that the CAT was clogged, but recommended a compression leak down check since there was no motor oil in the engine. It is important to note that the KIA service claim to have done a 360 check. However, there was no engine oil in the motor. Further, ever since KIA did the SC#176 RECALL the motor has burned oil somehow. WE believe that KIA is at fault and the SC#176 RECALL damaged the vehicle without doubt. KIA of America should be held accountable for our loss as well as anyone who has similar issues with the KIA motor.

NHTSA ODI 11454694

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop at 10 MPH, a rod bearing had blown through her engine without warning. The contact had the vehicle initially towed to her home. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on her vehicle. The contact then had the vehicle towed to the dealer where they confirmed the failure as another rod bearing had blown through the engine as the vehicle was being driven into the service garage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 89,912.

NHTSA ODI 11453904

My vehicle is a 2016 Kia Soul+ 2.0L engine. It is experiencing oil pressure failure in cylinder #1. A certified mechanic has diagnosed this as oil ring failure. KIA has a recall on the same model with the 1.6L engine, but there have been many instances of the 2.0L experiencing the same failure, but not being recalled. My vehicle has been well maintained, regularly serviced and not abused. My mechanic has had two other customers in less than a year experiencing this failure in the same engine. Vehicle has had loss of power along with oil pressure indicator light flashing. Car only remotely operates normal with in ECO mode. My local KIA dealership has not wanted to be helpful in any of these three cases. For the 1.6L that is recalled, owners who have this type of failure have had new engines installed. KIA America and my local dealership have not wanted to address this option. Said vehicle has sale value of $5,000 while this sort of repair would cost upwards of $9,000 if handled privately. As it stands, my repair bill is over $600 without actually fixing the problem that mechanic says will lead to complete engine failure. It would benefit myself and the other owners of Kia Soul+ 2.0L if the automaker would include these engines in the same recall as the KIA Soul+ 1.6L. As it stands, my vehicle cannot be sold in current condition and cannot be repaired due to very high cost. Any help from a government agency in encouraging KIA to include these KIA Soul+ 2.0L automobiles would be a great help to an untold number of US consumers experiencing this issue. It is simply too costly to repair on our own.

NHTSA ODI 11453672

My wife is driving our car down the street, dropping my daughter off at daycare when all of a sudden, the car does not want to do over 15 miles per hour and she almost gets rear ended. We have the car towed home and i check it later on on the evening once I’m off work. I think the engine and catalytic converters is gone. It only has 81,169 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11453179

when i first checked my oil before i went on vacation. The oil dip stick showed no oil at all. i called the dealership and told them about it. I was informed that the 1026 kia souls had a issue with burning oil and that my car would have to go through a oil consumption test. over the course of the test my car burned over 2 1/2 quarts of oil and not counting how much the oil was down when i first brought it to them. the last time i brought it they said what kia sent out was that the oil is within the normal range of burning oil. my car had only 63,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11451636

Trouble is when i get speed with the car and press the brake the system fail and i dont have any acceleration. Ex. When i go about 50mph or more and press the brake. The electrical system fail and show on dashboard "check ev system" and after restart or shutdown the car and power on again the system works normal

NHTSA ODI 11451687

Threw a piston through my engine block on the way to work dropped all the oil and lost all power and caused smoking from the exhaust pipe and engine bay on the freeway. Took it to a vehicle repair shop and thats what they diagnosed it as. I then took it to the dealer ship to have the same diagnoses.

NHTSA ODI 11451180

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH while driving uphill. Additionally, the vehicle was overheating. The check engine and oil level warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with the catalytic converter needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The independent mechanic informed the contact of an unknown recall and suggested that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who performed a multi-point inspection and software update however, no parts were replaced. The contact stated that the failure returned and that the vehicle was overheating with the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,633.

NHTSA ODI 11451232

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that prior to losing power, the vehicle had started making a loud grinding sound coming from the engine. The vehicle rolled to stop and the contact placed the transmission into park. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence and then later had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was referred to the manufacturer by the dealer. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer also stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 93,644.

NHTSA ODI 11450967

I brought in car for a recall notice on the engine component the check engine light came on stop driving it and scheduled an appointment to have the car serviced and have the recall done and now the dealership is refusing to do the repairs associated with the recall because I did not get a software update in a timely manner but there is no stimulation saying that the recall is void if I do not get the software update I did not know about the software update I was never contacted about any of this and now the dealership is refusing to do the repair job

NHTSA ODI 11449774

My car is exhibiting the same issue as the recall below but not on my VIN #. I have an open case with Kia Consumer Affairs which has been open for a couple months with zero feedback. I do not feel safe driving the car but as it stands I have no choice but my car as shown below and I was also told at the Kia dealership I purchased it from that it will need a new engine. Recall Subject: Engine and Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor Report Receipt Date: 02/22/2019 NHTSA Campaign: 19v120000 Summary Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 kia 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 and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure. Consequence Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. a broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. the leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the catalytic overheating protection engine control unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. in addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. the recall began april 17, 2019. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc176. Notes Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

NHTSA ODI 11449454

Catalytic Converter overheated causing a fire beneath the car.

NHTSA ODI 11449476

My catalytic converter has gone out 3 times! There has to be something wrong more than just normal wear and tear

NHTSA ODI 11449336

There is an on going issue about the cold start. The light went off twice and came back on. It is still the same code. The code is P050A.

NHTSA ODI 11447889

The car lost power suddenly while I was on highway I had a semi truck almost hit me it's the second time it's happened and I had to replace catalytic converter twice and I just got it back from Kia dealership in hurst tx it's still making the ticking noise I heard after they replaced the catylic converter the first time they also didn't look into finding out why my Kia soul is using so much oil it burns up fast like in three days from an oil change I'm almost out completely I feel like I would like it if you guys could give me a more reliable car I have a child and I can't keep losing all power while on the highway

NHTSA ODI 11447571

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY OTHER MOTORIST FLAGGED ME DOWN TO TELL ME i HAD A FIRE UNDER NEATH, FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED TO PUT OUT. TOWED TO AUTOMOTIVE SHOP WHERE THEY SAID THEY PUT ON SCAN TOOL TO PULL CODE CODE SHOWS SIGNS OF JUMPED TIMING, PUT UP ON HOIST AND FOUND ROD HAD BENT AND PUT HOLE IN ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON

NHTSA ODI 11447400

A broken connecting rod caused the Kia Soul 2016 engine to fail in a 2.0L engine, which seems to be the same issue as the 1.6L engine affected by a 2019 recall. The problem was diagnosed at a Kia Dealership by a mechanic. If the engine fail had happened on a highway rather than a neighborhood street, it could have definitely resulted in a crash and injury.

NHTSA ODI 11446034

Loses power and dies also uses alot of oil and a day after oil change I have to get more oil in it the first month I had the car it died the first week and lost power on the highway the said the Cadillac converter was clogged

NHTSA ODI 11445760

2016 Kia Soul. Car was very sluggish and after taking it in the engine needed to be replaced, this was covered under warranty. I think there was a recall on the engine as well. 1 day after getting my car back from the engine being replaced the engine light came back on. The dealership said it was a bad catalytic converter and would not cover it. it was clogged and would cost me over $1700. Me research revealed that the bad engine is more than likely the cause of the clogged Catalytic Converter. The dealership should have known this clog was there as well before returning my car to me. I have seem where this same issue with 2016 Kia Souls is happening to lots of people around the U.S. This part should last at least 10years, it's only been 6. Not reasonable for a 6yr old car to have this expensive and big issue especially before the 100,000 mile warranty is up. In good faith alone this issue should be recalled on this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11445530

On December 20. 2021. I was driving my daughter home from college in Alabama when after roughly 2-1/2 hours we reached Meridian MS. While travelling on Interstate 20, we were surprised to hear a severe knocking suddenly & the engine began to die. I would like to reiterate we were on the Interstate at posted speed of 70 mph, when I was forced to maneuver through a number of Semi-Trucks while our speed was rapidly declining. Once towed to the dealership I was informed of a hole in the engine block and there is a "Product Improvement" PI20023 regarding the knock sensor. But this is not a recall, so since I didn't get the software update my car is not covered. What I am completely perplexed about is the fact they know there is a malfunction that can damage the engine while driving. This issue literally put mine and my daughters in jeopardy. How can this not be a safety recall.

NHTSA ODI 11444997

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle went into limp mode with reduced speed. The contact stated that while driving approximately 73 MPH the vehicle decelerated to 43 MPH. The vehicle lost power and shut off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where an oil change was performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer; Kia Country of Charleston (2361 Savannah Hwy, Charleston, SC 29414, (843)573-2300) where the code was reset. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11444602

I took my car into the dealer for the COP logic recall with the ECU. Ever since that fix, every time I start my car when it’s cold outside it idles high. If the ambient temperature goes below 50 degrees or so when I turn the key to start the car the RPM jumps to almost 4K at cold it stays high for about a minute until it eventually settles around 1k. It only does this when it’s cold out and it never did it before that fix. Sometimes it will set off the MIL with the code P050A when this happens.

NHTSA ODI 11443964

Prior to completing the Kia Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software upgrade to add a Knock Sensor Detections System (KSDS) on my 2016 Kia Soul, my engine completely failed. After towing the vehicle to an auto repair show, my mechanic told me he won't repair my Kia as it was under warranty. I then towed my Kia to the dealership, I was informed that my piston rod had catastrophic failure and I needed to purchase a new engine ($10,800). According to the product improvement campaign, the vehicle has the potential of suffering damage of the exact failure I had. Kia claims that because my engine failed prior to getting the software upgrade, that I am required to pay for a new engine. There was no deadline to complete the software upgrade, nor was I notified in the letter that if my engine failed prior to, I would be held liable. Kia has a known product defect (MFG Recall SC176; NHTSA Recall 19V-120). My engine failed in the exact same manner as described in the recall. My vehicle only has 86,000 miles on it. My Kia has been at the dealership since July 6, 2021. I did receive a copy of the recall notice in Sept. of 2021. I called the dealership again, and they said no, my engine isn't covered, but they could replace my engine for 6000$ now. Then I got a call from the dealership that they could not find an engine, and it would take 3 months to get an engine.

NHTSA ODI 11444029