2021 Kia Soul: check engine light

Filed Nov 4, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · TX

My 2021 Kia Soul Turbo with the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) has an ongoing transmission failure. It has difficulty reversing and accelerating, and the check engine light is on. This creates a safety risk when pulling into traffic or backing up. In September 2026, Westside Kia (Katy, TX) did not identify the root cause and offered only non-warranty repairs, which I paid for and which did not fix the problem. On [XXX], Joe Myers Kia (Houston, TX) diagnosed a failed transmission shift actuator (part #43810-2D205) and quoted $2,777.39. I am the original owner at about 76,500 miles, within Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Kia denied coverage, saying the actuator falls under the expired basic warranty (Kia case #[XXX]). Kia has previously issued Service Action SA396 (DCT replacement on 2019-2020 Soul for harsh shifting and transmission-related check engine lights), TSB TRA083 (7-speed DCT judder), and TSB TRA085 (DCT actuator rod adjustment), indicating known problems with this transmission. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine · MI

My 2021 Kia Soul was included in Recall SC336 involving defective piston oil rings that may cause increased oil consumption, engine damage, and stalling. The recall remedy was done in June 2025. Kia digitally inspected the engine and said it passed so no engine replacement was performed. Eight months later the car began having symptoms mirroring those of the recall. On February 13, 2026, an independent repair facility documented a check engine light, poor acceleration, timing-related engine fault codes, no oil on the dipstick, less than two quarts of oil recovered from the engine, and no visible external oil leaks. On May 21, 2026, a Kia dealership documented that the vehicle arrived three quarts low. Engine timing and performance issues later required warranty repairs. On Sept. 19 2026, the vehicle stalled while turning onto a busy roadway with four occupants inside. Following the stall event, the vehicle was again found to be extremely low on oil despite documented regular maintenance and oil changes throughout ownership. I’m worried that the recall inspection didn’t identify an affected engine and that the car then developed the symptoms in Recall SC336 - excessive oil consumption, engine-related faults, poor performance, and dangerous stalling. The car is now being evaluated by Kia. I am complaining because I believe the federal safety agency should know a vehicle that passed the SC336 recall inspection within months developed symptoms resembling the condition that recall was intended to address. I have been informed by the dealership that because Recall SC336 was already completed, Kia would not allow the recall process to simply be performed again. My concern is that the vehicle was determined to have passed the recall inspection but then developed all of the recall symptoms. I am concerned that the recall history is not being considered as part of the current diagnosis and that the underlying condition addressed by SC336 was not identified despite the vehicle having symptoms.

Filed Sep 8, 2026 · Engine · OH

The check engine light came on in the car and within a few minutes while looking for a safe place the pull over there was a foul smell coming from the engine, followed by many error lights on the dash and the car losing the ability to accelerate and drive. The car had to be towed to a local repair shop who inspected the car and found that the engine a thrown a rod through the engine block.

Filed Sep 4, 2026 · Engine · 188,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.

Filed Aug 10, 2026 · Engine · 65,000 miles · OK

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Engine · 102,261 miles · NM

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be added to the engine after driving every 30 miles. Additionally, on one occasion while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled and failed to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,261.

Filed Jun 16, 2026 · Engine · MA

The first incident occurred on November 2, 2025. I was driving down a state road. I missed my turn so I pulled into a parking lot to turn around. Once I was able to pull out, I put my foot on the accelerator and felt no resistance. The car rolled out of the parking lot onto the road. I kept pressing the accelerator hoping the gas would return but my car rolled along without picking up speed. I was able to turn into a gas station to get my car off the road. I turned the engine off. When I turned it back on, all of the lights on the dashboard came on, before the only one that remained lit was the check engine light. I had the car towed to my local mechanic who after diagnosing, told me my car over consumed oil which resulted in the engine shut down. I was due for a change in a 400 miles. He said it was a known problem with Kia Souls and advised me to take it to a Kia dealership for inspection, which I did. I've taken it to Kia Danvers. Since 11/2/25, the issue has persisted. On 3/27/26, my car shut down 4 times while driving. Each time I would hear a loud noise coming from the engine, and I could feel the power draining from the steering wheel and pedals before the engine would shut off. After a minute or two, the car would restart. The problems continued on 3/29/26 where it happened 8 times. I was able to get it to Kia Danvers on 4/1/26 for a diagnostic exam and an oil change. They suggested an oil consumption test which I did on 5/4/26. They said my oil reduction was normal. On 5/7/26, while driving, my car began violently shaking with the shaking occurring in the engine. The check engine light came on. I pulled over and immediately called the dealership to explain what happened. The said to come in but I wasn't able to get it towed. When I took it in for scheduled service on 5/27/26, they noted the car consumed a lot of oil and suggested another oil change, and a combustion chamber cleaning.

Filed Jun 16, 2026 · Engine · TX

My vehicle has been in the shop 7 times for misfire in all cylinders over a 2 1/2 year span Kia dealer refused to replace the engine, 8 months after I threatened to sue the dealership for saying they fixed the misfire in all cylinders issue and 8 months later I’m getting misfire in 4th cylinder. As the engine light came on again and I have a high end car diagnostic tool attached to the car which is giving me that code and previous codes of misfire in all cylinders. First misfire in all cylinders started at 16,000 miles bought car brand new and it continued all the way to 37,067 miles . The Kia dealership keep saying it’s this or that and it’s been fixed but the lights come on the previous 7 times after a week or less after taking it home from the dealer and then saying it’s fixed last time I wanted a new engine a Kia representative said it doesn’t need a new engine. I talked to a technician there about reading about this issue in alot of same vehicles he said I was right but Kia doesn’t want to pay for a new engine so they give excuses or just reset or clear the codes which doesn’t resolve the problem , Kia has changed the fuel tank, changed the spark plug wires, the spark plug cables the assembly,ecm which never resolved the problem

Filed Jun 1, 2026 · Engine · 82,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while at a light the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the valve train needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the engine light was illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

Filed May 15, 2026 · Engine · 109,000 miles · UT

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that one cylinder had low pressure while the other three cylinders had pressures higher than 100%. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who performed the recall repair under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine And Engine Cooling); however, the engine was not replaced. The piston ring was tested and passed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Filed Apr 24, 2026 · Engine · MA

On [XXX], the check engine light illuminated. No other warning indicators activated — no low oil pressure warning, no low oil level warning, no driver alert of any kind regarding engine condition. On [XXX], at approximately 53,845 miles, the vehicle began running rough. I checked the engine oil and found the dipstick registered empty — no measurable oil in the engine. No low oil level or low oil pressure warning had been provided by the vehicle at any point prior to this discovery. I added two quarts of oil. The vehicle stalled while being driven to obtain the oil, and stalled again after the oil was added. I drove the vehicle to Jiffy Lube and had a full oil change performed. Mileage at the oil change was 53,852. I then scheduled an appointment with Gervais Kia in Lowell, Massachusetts, the nearest Kia dealer, less than one mile from my home. The earliest available appointment was approximately one week later. Because the vehicle stalled repeatedly at idle, I drove it to the dealer using both feet — keeping engine revs elevated with the accelerator while braking — to prevent stalling at stops. The vehicle is currently at Gervais Kia for diagnostic inspection. The symptoms match the failure mode documented in the federal safety agency recall campaign 25V‑099 (Kia recall for 2021-2023 Soul and Seltos with 2.0L Nu MPI engines, piston oil ring manufacturing defect). My vehicle has the 2.0L Nu MPI engine and was manufactured at the Kia Autoland Hwaseong plant identified in the recall filing. However, my VIN does not appear in the current recall population per the federal safety agency VIN lookup and Kia’s recall lookup. The recall remedy includes installation of Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software specifically because the defect provides no driver warning before failure — consistent with my experience, in which the engine ran empty of oil with no warning whatsoever. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 20, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

What component or system failed or malfunctioned? The engine (piston rings) and catalytic converter failed. The catalytic converter is available for inspection upon request. How was safety put at risk? The engine ran low on oil without any external leak, causing warning lights and engine rattling. Low oil pressure can lead to sudden engine seizure or fire. The failed catalytic converter can clog, causing loss of power on highways and increasing the risk of a crash. Has the problem been confirmed by a dealer or independent shop? Yes. A Kia dealer found the engine 2 quarts low, with no external leak, and recommended replacing the catalytic converter at a cost of over $6,000. An independent mechanic confirmed code P0420, which indicates catalytic converter failure. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer? The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Kia dealer, but they did not complete the required inspection for Recall SC336 (defective piston oil rings). They did add the software. Were there warning lamps or other symptoms? Yes. The oil pressure warning light and other dashboard lights came on. The engine made a rattling noise. The vehicle later felt sluggish on acceleration, fuel economy dropped, and the exhaust developed a smell. The check engine light came on and later turned off, but code P0420 was stored in the system.