Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Kia Soul owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Description of Incident: The engine has experienced a failure that causes oil to blow back from the engine, covering components both under and outside of the engine cover. This has resulted in oil accumulating on the exhaust and other hot components, creating a significant fire hazard. Safety Risks: This malfunction poses a serious risk to my safety and the safety of others, as the oil leakage could lead to a fire while driving. Additionally, the vehicle stalls at various speeds, which increases the risk of accidents or harm to other drivers and pedestrians. There is also a strong smell of oil inside the car, potentially indicating harmful fumes entering the cabin. Inspection Availability: The component/system causing the issue is available for inspection upon request. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle began decelerating and vibrating while driving at approximately 40-45 MPH. When attempting to accelerate forward and switch lanes, the vehicle would hesitate to respond as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle began overheating causing smoke to come from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The contact waited until the smoke dissipated and the vehicle cooled down before moving the vehicle to the side of the road. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and the following day it was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The vehicle was taken to highway and after an uphill ramp (from Stringfellow to I-66E), the vehicle lost power, started to smoke, brake system lost power (foot brake did not work, so side brake was used to stop the vehicle), then caught on fire at Mile Marker 56.6. Yes, it is available for an inspection. I had to evacuate the vehicle in the middle of interstate highway that did not have an emergency lane. 3 out of 4 lanes had been blocked, so, yes, it did put others at safety risk as well. Problem cannot be reproduced as the vehicle will be deemed total loss (pending insurance company's inspection). However, please note that the engine was replaced at the dealer, under the warranty, 2 weeks prior to the incident. Insurance company is inspecting the vehicle and the captain of the fire brigade has stated that he will be filing a report in Fairfax County, VA. Excessive smoke and smell. …
Vehicle began shuddering violently, with the check engine light alternating between blinking and staying lit. The oil light randomly lighting up for literally a fraction of a second despite oil levels in acceptable range. Excessive yet random consumption of oil. Severe loss of horsepower, especially upon acceleration from a dead stop. No/low compression on two cylinders. Catalytic converter needs replacing for 2nd time in 365 days. Safety Recalls not showing in system (VIN lookup), yet recently presented by dealership. Safety Recalls P12002B ECU Update KSDS 2.0L GDI, SA206 PS/EV Rear Center Seatbelt Cover, SC125 Pinion Plug Inspection Repair, & SC155 STR Gear Pinion Plug Group B. Some recalls not informed of in a timely manner. Kia Dealership & local muffler shop are the only ones to look at car. …
About several months ago the car was skipping. I was told it was a coil. I had it replaced. It then drove fine. Then in Christmas Day it started again and the engine light came on once again. I took it to a mechanic and he thought it was the plug for the coil. They changed it and it did it again. He said that with Kia and Hyundai cars there is always problems like this. He said he fixed a Kia with the same problem as mine about a week ago. As a matter of fact last week when I went to get the oil changed at another place before I took to them (the last place) there was another man in there who also described his car was doing the same. I was surprised when he said he had a Kia soul. That's why I took it to this last mechanic who could do the work. He said it would cost me anywhere from three to five thousand dollars because the motor would need to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC codes P007 and P008 and informed the contact that the camshaft sensors and crank shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. While driving, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who informed him that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing chain, sensors, camshaft and the engine needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, and the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a second opinion, and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained with the local dealer but was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact shifted the vehicle into park and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer once again and the crank shaft sensor was replaced but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again, but no failure was found, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 77,000.
Driving the car up the 101 Cuesta Grade and lost acceleration. The speedometer went to zero and as the car died I pulled to the right side of the freeway / grade. Smoke started to enter my vehicle. A car stopped in front of me and one behind and the people ran from their cars to tell me to get out of my car as my front engine underneath was on fire. I got out of the car and opened the back hatch to remove my belongings as the engine burst into flames. This car has been maintained by KIA and by a personal mechanic and we were up to date on all recalls. We were NOT included in the most recent engine fire recall. The car is completely destroyed.
NHTSA Recall:19V120 The ESC light went on during high winds and stayed on. The car stuttered going up hill @40+ mph, so I looked for any outstanding recalls and decided to take it into LutherKia Bloomington. There were other recalls I was unaware of that I checked boxes to fix. They examined my vehicle and told me that my Catalytic Converter was plugged/melted and needed to be replaced. That isn't related to ESC as far as I'm aware, also I asked -why- it plugged and they were unwilling/able to determine. Other mechanics online told me that it is crucial to determine the root cause of why it plugged/melted and fix it. I looked closer at the recalls and pointed out that the various outstanding recalls called for engine tests, none of which they did. I then noticed that recall #19V120 directly mentioned catalytic converter damage. …
Transmission complaints in other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2015 Kia Soul?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2015 Kia Soul, 7% of the model year's 902 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Kia Soul transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2015 Kia Soul, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Soul transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 8 fires and 3 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.