The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check oil warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The dealer advised the contact to have a service treatment performed to the engine because of a possible oil consumption issue. The vehicle was serviced; however, the vehicle was consuming engine oil. The vehicle was returned to the dealer for service; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,507.
2016 Kia Soul engine complaints
Page 6 of 22: complaints 131 to 160 of 623, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact called on behalf of a consumer who owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over and allowed the vehicle to cool down for several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The contact researched and became aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
I've never had an issue with my car since I got it about 5 years ago. Then all of a sudden on Sunday the engine just went out and I lost power . Now it won't start unless it's charged and my mechanic says I need a whole new engine.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that there was oil leaking from the front end of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,980. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Catalytic converter is not working properly. Car lost power. Coral Springs Kia diagnosed but they say it is not warranted by factory. I have the contract where it says engine warranty until 100k miles or 10yr. This car has less than 90k miles in this moment. They are billing me 5,880 if I want they repair
On July 8th at 12:15 am my 2016 Kia Soul Engine suddenly caught on fire while I was driving alone on the I-5 by the grapevine. I am a 25 year old woman and was stranded alone on the side of the highway in a very flammable remote area known for fires at 1am. I heard a strange knocking sound while driving and pulled over as it started smoking and it immediately caught fire under the hood while I was still in the vehicle. Cars were flying by and I was stranded alone in flip flops and pajamas as the glass windows were exploding and I threw my heavy luggage to the side of the road. I was 4 hours into a 6 hour drive away from anyone I know in the middle of the night in a dangerous situation. I texted my boss I wouldn’t be able to make it to work the next morning. My car was totaled and I had to pay $982.50 for towing and additional fees and my friend had to drive 2 hours to pick me up at 2am since my family lived 4 hours north and all my friends lives 2 hours south. No warning lights came on, it's been properly serviced with oil changes every December and July each year within less than 7,000-10,500 miles between each oil change. I was terrified I almost started a forest fire and I have a copy of my 911 call recording where I frantically called and panicked because I was so scared and alone. 16 other people called it in. I submitted a claim for the Kia engine fire risk settlement that was ironically due that day of the accident and my VIN# was a class action vehicle because the previous owner had the KSDS "knock detection sensor" service done on the car. My settlement claim was denied because they state there wasn't enough proof of a qualifying fire but I'm currently trying to sort this with Kia since it burst into flames without any warning other than a loud noise 20 seconds before. The firefighter's incident report states the fire started in the engine area and the police report says it was caused by an unknown mechanical issue in the engine.
The catalytic converter is damaged. The check engine light will come on but will reset when checked with a code reader. At the time of the initial incident, all but .5 quart of oil had been consumed by the engine and would not hold speed above 30mph. I did have a non Kia mechanic look at the car and was told that it fit under the recall and to have it serviced by Kia. I took it to Kia. They have told me that since it wasn't giving any codes, they would not replace the catalytic converter and denied the recall repair. The letter from Kia Corp. stated the catalytic converter would be replaced if there was damage. All of this took place from 7/29/2024 to 9/16/2024. On 9/16/2024, the dealership basically told me to drive an unsafe car until the check engine light came back on and then bring it back in to see if it will fall under the recall. I have attached the letter from Kia along with my notes from phone calls with them, and a the notes from the first mechanic.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, and the contact became aware that there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
My 2016 Kia soul 1.6 L engine has been serviced more than once within a month for the past year due to low oil. If not serviced then it could result in an engine lock up. The worker was concerned my engine might be on recall due to other Kia souls having the same problem.
I believe my vehicle is apart of a recall that affects the same vehicle Yr./Mk./Mdl. as mine. When my VIN was searched by the service department at the dealer (same manufacture) it said no recall. I was told that the recall was for the vehicles from a different assembly plant. My vehicle seams to be having the same affect/issues as described in the recall. Recall in reference: Recall Date: April 17, 2019 Recall Number: SC176 Issue: 1) Car ran bad 2) Replaced Spark plugs and coil packs and the car ran good 3) Car ran bad 4) Replaced downstream 02 and the car ran good 5) Car ran bad 6) Replaced upstream O2 sensor and the car ran good 7) Car ran bad 8) Car spits oil out the exhaust pipe 9) Car no longer operable
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and attempting to accelerate, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle; however, the engine failed to turn over. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the dealer related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the Knock Sensor repair not being performed. The contact stated that the notice was sent to the incorrect address and the repair was not performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact waited approximately 30-minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle started but lost power immediately thereafter. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed. The contact was informed that the engine was consuming one quart of engine oil per 150 miles driven. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
I have a 2016 Kia soul. Second owner. 144,000+ miles. For nearly a year my car has been consuming oil at an alarming rate. But I have no oil leaks anywhere. My dealership did an oil consumption test about 5-6 months ago and within 1000 miles, I was already below the half way line on my dipstick but the dealership told me I was still in range and sent me on my way. Fast forward a few months and I brought up my concerns again with my dealership and the oil consumption. I was told to drive it until the engine seizes and they would tow me. At which point, I told them that sounded dangerous but apparently Kia will not do anything for my vehicle if all it is doing is consuming oil. July 26, I’m out of town about two hours + from home and out of nowhere my car starts idling high. Failing to shift gears. If I go to speed up past 60mph, the car forcibly bogs down to 45mph and struggles to get back up to speed. The vehicle was shaking, knocking, and struggling with performance. I drove the car to a small town and checked my oil. Bone dry. So I top it off with a couple quarts. I drove the car to a non Kia dealership where a mechanic told me my car was misfiring. He popped the hood and for the first time, my engine was knocking back and forth. It’s never done that. He said that he felt confident there was rod damage and drove it around the block. When he returned he said it was not safe to drive and I had it towed to the closest dealership over an hour away. The dealership felt extremely confident that my car was going to qualify for the motor swap warranty that Kia offers up to 150,000 miles or 15 years. Keep in mind, my car NEVER once threw a check engine light during any of these occurrences, nor did a low oil light ever come on in the 4 years I owned the vehicle. My vehicle has been down 3 weeks and still has not been fixed from Kia.
The vehicle stalled due to lack of oil.(Before the 6 month oil change was due.)Yes it is available for inspection upon request. No one’s safety was put at risk. When the problem was brought up to the Kia dealership We were told that they had called in November 2023 And since we did not respond we voided our opportunity to have the engine Covered under the recall warranty. We did not receive a call. The vehicle has only been inspected by mechanic no work has been done on it. No lights came on to indicate there was a problem, it happened suddenly.
On June 9th my husband was driving on the interstate when the check engine light came on and then the car stopped accelerating. Thankfully he was not hurt but we had to get the vehicle towed to the mechanic who said that this is a known problem with Kia where the engines consume oil and seize without warning. We maintained properly as recommended through a service center (not Kia dealer) and because we didn’t receive any notification from Kia that there is a software update required to prevent this, we don’t qualify for a replacement engine. A lawyer said that there is nothing we can do because we were not hurt. I think it’s insane that this was not a listed recall on my vehicle and that I was not notified that we needed an update. That we were allowed to have a car that could shut down going 70mph on the interstate in traffic. I think it’s even more insane we have this safety issue and the manufacturer doesn’t have to do anything to make amends. We did not get the notice to update and therefore we didn’t get the update and now we have a dead car due to a manufacturing issue, not a service issue.
I am reporting my 2016 Kia Soul that started dying while driving or idling at red lights in late May 2023. I immediately brought it to a Kia Dealership and they had me replace the catalytic converter. I had done the SC176 recall and my car was right over warranty at around 84000. They are not covering this repair with the engine class action settlement even though the SC176 recall mentions if the catalytic converter is damaged, particles can enter the engine combustion chamber and cause abnormal engine combustion which can damage the pistons and therefore the engine. I am bewildered how this has not been covered in the recalls and class action settlements. They replaced my catalytic converter and the car continued to not start randomly and die randomly while driving so I traded it in out of safety concerns. There were no warning lights that ever occurred.
Turning off a highway onto a rural road & without warning my car would not accelerate. Turn off , let it cool, start up and only get about quarter mile until i lost power again. Had it towed to local garage & told its a blocked catalytic converter & very expensive. Kia says its not covered under warranty or recall so now its just been sitting at the garage for over a month while I pay storage fee until i save enough to repair it
With the ac running it will accelerate it stalls out
Vehicle had a sudden loss of power. This was following a catalytic convertor repair last year. Took vehicle to Kia dealership and was informed that the total for repairs would be 4600 dollars. They informed me that they felt we should just replace the engine at my cost and that me vehicle did not fall under the class action lawsuit, though it was demonstrating very similar issues that they've seen. When I asked if this was caused by the constant oil consumption, they felt that it was a factor and that it was simply normal in that engine to consume oil the way it does. I feel like I'm being taken advantage of, and that Kia is not being honest with us.
Catalytic converter issue- confirmed by Kia Service
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was towed to an independent where the contact was informed that oil was burning inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine block wall was not properly put together a hole was created in the wall which led to the engine becoming completely damaged even when the car was being taken cared of.
Engine got bad while driving and it still runs but doesn’t drive.
My engine on my 2016 Kia soul went out while I was driving in my neighborhood at 30 mph.
The engine is consuming oil and plugging the converter. The safety of me & other drivers were at risk in the flow of traffic. The car wouldn't gain speed as it decreased in speed, sputtering and unable to regain current speed of the flow of traffic. This started in 2021. This problem has been reconfirmed and inspected by an independent service center, Conrad's. The catalytic converter was replaced twice within a six month period and still having same problem. There were never warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I will need a new engine replacement in order to fix this issue that has already been recalled and ordered by Federal courts to replace the engines built in 2015.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon servicing the vehicle, he became aware that the vehicle was abnormally low on oil, considering that he had previously performed an oil change within 4,000 miles. The contact also stated that he observed oil pooling underneath the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and after an oil consumption test, it was determined that the engine was consuming 1-quart of oil every 1,000 miles, placing the vehicle well below the recommended oil change interval of every 6,500 miles. The dealer also diagnosed a failure with the oil gasket. The contact was informed that due to the failures, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.
I purchased this 2016 Kia Soul from a dealership in April, 2024. On [XXX], I was driving on a residential street when I heard an explosion. Smoke poured from the back of the car and from under the hood. I tried to stop, but the brakes failed. I put the car in park, but it would not stop. I finally put the emergency brake on and it stopped. By this time, the car was basically a fireball. I had to get out by stepping through fire. I inhaled smoke from the burning and melting elements of the vehicle. The fire department arrived quickly, but it took 10-15 minutes to put the fire out. I have since learned that Kia knew of the problem and there was a class action suit against them, which it is too late for me to file a claim on. As [XXX] , I am very concerned about the situation. My insurance payout won't be enough to replace the car and I am unable to secure a loan. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
went to Kia as car was approaching high 80's in mileage-significant power loss. Asked if my problem had to do with the class action suit--was told no. No diagnostic test was recommended. Approaching 100, miles mechanic told me I had no oil in my car. Called Kia, told them my car was suffering from power loss (and also burning excess oil) They told me "oh sounds like transmission. full tune up done 3/23-still lack of power still burning excess oil. Kia diagnostic -catalytic converter-service women suggested I call an outside mechanic to save money. replaced converter 11/23. 12/3 driving power drop, engine light--error-knock system 1/9 driving hwy power drop, engine light--very frightening.Kia replaced knock system thru the class action suit. In my research I see a faulty knock system can damage catalytic converter. Fighting to get reimbursed for the $1,0000 catalytic converter repair and being denied. My Kia is burning oil like CRAZY--I am putting in quarts multiple times before service is due. My dealership tells me that my oil consumption is normal --how can they even think that is ok to say. At the same time 2 different mechanics there told me that my years car has a problem with the piston skirts and the rings..A lot of Kia owners are getting new engines --which is the right thing to do since they are aware that there is a malfunction with the rings around the pistons. Worried that I will run out of oil (as 3 times now I heard the clicking and been told by 2 different mechanics and a gas station attendant--that my car was out of oil.)How can I get this addressed. Unintended oil is being allowed to enter the combustion chamber and burn with the air/fuel mixture. Engines typically burn excess oil because the engine is damaged or worn--I have done every oil change required since purchasing. I take excellent care of my car and I want to keep it. I should not have to pay for a new engine when this issue has been going on for years now with Kia skirting the issue-ty
While driving vehicle suddenly lost power and the battery light, engine light and oil light turned on. My car did not start after. Upon inspection my mechanic added oil to the car to see if that will work and it didn’t. Granted I had an oil change one month ago and still had a bit of miles to go before my next one. The oil light never turned on before this so I thought it was odd that it was low in oil. Secondly we charged the battery and tried to jump start it. That was futile. When he inspected it more he said it was the engine that became detective. I’m glad this happened on a safe road rather than the freeway! There was zero indication prior , that my car was going to stop . I know there’s active recalls for this same issue …
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2016 Kia Soul?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history