2014 Kia Soul Engine Problems

Which parts fail

• Exhaust system › Emission control › Catalytic convertor
  10
• Exhaust system
  2
• Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
  2
• Engine
  1
• Engine › Crank/camshaft position sensor
  1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  205%
• 25k–50k
  62%
• 50k–75k
  4912%
• 75k–100k
  10226%
• 100k–150k
  18547%
• 150k+
  318%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Kia Soul owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated her daughter's boyfriend was driving approximately 70 MPH with her daughter in the passenger's seat, when they noticed smoke in the rearview mirror. The driver checked around to see if the smoke was coming from another vehicle and determined that the smoke was coming the vehicle he was driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the driver pulled over to the side of the road and exited the vehicle and noticed fire coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fire was extinguished with the assistance of the Fire Department. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had been taken to the local dealer and repaired under an unknown recall. After retrieving the vehicle, the contact stated occasionally the low oil level warning light would illuminate. …

The contact's neighbor owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in his neighbor's garage, another neighbor noticed smoke coming from the walls of the garage. The contact then stated that his neighbors were awakened by another neighbor alerting them of the fire. The contact's neighbor was able to exit the home and notified the fire department that extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police and fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was inspected by an investigator who determined that the fire was started in the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact stated that prior to the failure, on three separate occasions, while his neighbors were driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. …

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) on 9/21/2021. The contact called multiple local dealers and was informed the closest appointment was on 11/8/2021 to have recall repairs. The contact stated on 9/24/2021 while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to decelerate its speed and the brakes pedal was hard when depressing. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver stated she saw smoke exiting under the hood and then the vehicle accelerated independently while depressing on the brake pedal. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer on 9/37/2021, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. …

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, a pinging-type noise was heard coming from the engine compartment along with gray smoke. The vehicle began to lose automotive power and reduced speed before the engine stalled. The contact exited the vehicle and flames and smoke were present coming from under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. A fire and police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was later towed away. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The contact also indicated that during the incident the front driver's side door could not be manually opened from inside the vehicle and the key fob was used to open the door. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. …

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated her son was driving at 35 mph when smoke started coming out from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicles next to the vehicle and behind the vehicle honked their horns and started yelling at the driver that there was a fire underneath the vehicle. The driver pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The driver exited the vehicle through the driver's side window due to the electrical components in the vehicle melting and not functioning as designed. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. No medical treatment was needed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where the contacts insurance company inspected the vehicle and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the contact became aware of a burning rubber odor and observed grey and brown smoke coming from underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that a fire had started underneath the front of the vehicle. The local Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. While exiting the vehicle, the vehicle continued rolling and the rear driver's side tire ran over both feet. The contact had two severely bruised feet; however, medical assistance was not sought. The vehicle was not towed or taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,000.

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. Another driver notified her that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. After the vehicle was stopped, the driver saw flames coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The fire department was notified of the fire and arrived and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed away from the scene of the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The contact mentioned that previous to the fire there were several cylinder misfires. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the original engine had been replaced in 2018. The failure mileage was 238,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning odor was detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer performed a recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). After, receiving the vehicle back from the dealer the oil warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure and an engine test was performed and diagnosed that there was sludge in the engine from not having regular oil changes. The contact was informed that the oil needed to be changed every 2,000 miles, instead of every 3,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired since an appointment was not available until August 25, 2021. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,363.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph when the vehicle's engine was making a grinding sound then it started making a winding noise as if it was revving up. The contact stated they noticed that something had dropped from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Smoke began to come from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The fire department arrived however the contact was unsure if a report was made. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who had not officially diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was open regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph during rainy weather conditions, the vehicle began to produce a knocking noise, decelerated, and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact's boyfriend opened the hood and confirmed that there was a fire. The fire extinguished itself and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was currently there for diagnostics but not repaired as of yet. During the incident, the police were called but it was unknown if a police report was filed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Engine complaints in other Soul years