Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Kia Soul owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the battery, steering, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The steering wheel then seized. The contact stopped the vehicle in the left lane of the highway when another vehicle sideswiped the passenger side of her vehicle and fled the scene. The air bags did not deploy. The contact experienced sore body pains, but medical attention was not received. No police report was filed. The contact activated the hazard lights, and the vehicle shut off after an hour of idling. VDOT arrived on the scene and attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …
For a week or two when I turned the heated seat on I would often feel a very intense heat from the seat back when it started up for a period of time. I had just recently had a back injury so I thought perhaps my back was being overly sensitive. Finally on the 27th just after I started driving the car in the morning I felt the burning feeling on my back again and stuck my hand behind me to feel the seat. I felt burning on my hand and pain and yanked my hand away immediately, pulled over, and looked behind me at the seat, in time to see a curl of smoke coming out of a small hole on the back of the seat. I also found that the palm of my hand had a small mark beneath the base of my thumb where I had felt the burning pain. It took at least half an hour for the burning sensation to fade. I also detected an odor of smoke for a bit afterward. …
On Monday September 6, 2021 at about 11:30 pm, I was driving home east on interstate 90, just east of Roselle rd. near Schaumburg, Illinois. When the car began to violently shake. The dash board lights began to flash and the engine just stopped. We managed to steer the car to the side of the express way, in an attempt to restart the car with no luck. A Illinois Dept. of Transportation road side assistance driver tried to start the car when the car explored into fire, the driver put the fire out and provided us with the number of a toe truck , which we had the car toed to the Schaumburg Kia Dealer, located at 1100 East Golf Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173, phone No. is [phone], where the dealer is trying to determine the cause of the fire and the amount of damage, if the car is a total loss or not. My car is a 2016 Kia Soul. …
While driving my 2016 Kia Soul Plus on the highway, smoke began coming from the rear of the vehicle. Within seconds, flames were visible. Other drivers flagged me down, and I was able to pull over. I evacuated three dogs from the car, but the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames and was a total loss. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. There were no warning lights or unusual performance issues immediately before the fire started. The vehicle had not been modified and was in regular use. This incident posed a severe risk to my safety, the safety of my pets, and others on the road. My VIN currently shows no active recalls, but Kia has issued recalls for engine and electrical fire risks in other Soul models. The fire appears related to engine, electrical, or fuel system malfunction. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the vehicle was not calculating accurate EV range and was fluctuating abnormally. After closer observation, the contact became aware that the vehicle was unable to reach a FULL charge and would only reach 80% charge. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the charging system. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V218000 (Electrical System), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 33,000.
My Kia Soul's engine failed when we were exiting the highway. The car started making awful grinding sounds and went into "limp mode." When I tried to restart the vehicle, the oil lamp and check engine lamp illuminated. The car had shown NO issues the entire day and I had put oil in it earlier that morning because I noticed it was low (I try to check the oil every time I get gas). I had my partner and our dogs in the car with us and had to walk down the highway to the gas station to call somebody since we didn't have service. It was also 110 degrees outside, so the car failing put us in a pretty dangerous situation. …
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. …
Catalytic Converter kept getting hot, was at dealership for a recall on engine in May 2022, light kept coming on and off. October 3, 2022 broke down on freeway for the Catalytic took to mechanic spent $1200 for repair on Catalytic converter, oil and spark plugs, within a day kept burning oil, by Sunday, October 23, 2022 broke down on freeway again and engine fried and burned piston #2 - I have many receipts for oil changes every 3k miles, always keep car maintained and have a notebook for everything I have repaired. The headlights and brake lights went out a month ago and never did get the brake bar light replaced. The passenger window motor is shot and the airbag light is on. Currently, it's at the dealership parked and I am waiting for Corporate to give a go ahead to say it's a go to fix it, and I'm missing work and will loose my job without having a car. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was accelerating, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was provided with DTC: P0014 and P0013. The contact stated that the check engine light was turned off, and the camshaft was replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn had failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
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. Recall 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. Recall action 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. …
Electrical complaints in other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Kia Soul?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Kia Soul, 7% of the model year's 816 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › anti-theft › immobilizer/proximity › key/sender (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Kia Soul electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2016 Kia Soul, though it has 2 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 2016 Kia Soul electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 7 fires and 5 injuries to electrical system 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.