Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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 while driving 55 mph, the contact slowed down then merged into another lane when the vehicle decelerated inadvertently and would not accelerate above 2 mph. Another vehicle crashed into the middle of the front and rear passenger's side door frames of the vehicle, which caused the doors to not be able to open. No medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer Spradley Kia (2145 HWY 50 West, Pueblo, CO 81008) and a product improvement campaign and ECU software update was performed however, the failure recurred. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while turning on the vehicle as well as while driving, an oil odor was detected, a knocking sound was heard, and the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of engine oil. The check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed an oil change and stated that the catalytic converter was faulty. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and the dealer performed a recall for the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software update however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that smoke was seen coming from under the hood while driving. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat and there was smoke coming out from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle then caught on fire. The contact stated that a significant amount of oil had leaked underneath the vehicle onto the ground. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report or police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was overheating. Additionally, the contact stated he smelled a burning odor and gasoline odor while driving and upon starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer was notified of the failure. The dealer upgraded the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. However, the catalytic converter was not inspected nor replaced per the recall remedy notes that stated that the catalytic converter would also be replaced if the catalytic converter was damaged. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred increasingly on highland roads. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle shuddered and stalled while accelerating. The transmission also shifted hard, and the vehicle shook abnormally. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filter, cooling system, and air cleaner needed to be serviced. The ECU update was completed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The light disengaged independently; however, over time the warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle had been repaired twice; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that one month after one of the repairs while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, lost motive power, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer nearby. The contact inquired about a possible oil leak being the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer after the first initial failure and was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The vehicle was repaired under Warranty. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the part free of charge but charged a fee for the labor. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH two weeks later, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Raceway KIA of Conshohocken (402 Ridge Pike, Conshohocken, PA 19428), where it was diagnosed. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving in a parking lot at approximately 10 MPH, the engine seized. The contact was able to coast to a nearby parking space, where the vehicle lost power and shut off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The mechanic suggested that the engine be replaced. The contact became aware of a Software Update Program with an extension for an engine replacement. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and confirmed the diagnostic result. The dealer informed the contact that the engine would not be covered by Kia because the Software Update Program update was not being completed. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact performed an inspection under the hood and noticed that the oil pressure was low. The contact drove the vehicle to the nearest gas station and added oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light then turned off; however, two days later, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and oil needed to be added every two to three days. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that in March 2025, the catalytic converter failed and was replaced. …
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V608000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at 40 MPH, the transmission seized and failed to function as intended. The vehicle stalled, and after several attempts, the vehicle was restarted. The contact continued to drive at slow speeds. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), but the failure persisted. The contact was informed that the recall part for the steering was not available. …
Related recalls
Engine
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…
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter.
NHTSA investigations
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Engine complaints in other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Kia Soul?
NHTSA has 617 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Kia Soul, 76% of the model year's 816 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Kia Soul engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-120 (engine, Feb 22, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Soul engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 29 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.