Most common 2021 Kia Soul problems
Share of the 238 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Soul complaints by model year
Best Soul years: 2010, 2011, 2025. Years to avoid: 2015, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021. Compare all years →
2021 Kia Soul recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2021 Kia Soul:
Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness
On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.'s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire.
What 2021 Kia Soul owners say
Engine & cooling all 184 →
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. The dealer replaced the piston rings; however, the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software was not updated as it was not available during the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and she was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred the next day. A warning message illuminated, indicating that the Auto Collision was about to be deactivated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. …
We were going south on [redacted] about 25 mph intending to make a left turn onto [redacted] My wife said "slow down or you won't make the turn" to which I replied "I am trying but it won't slow down" As I applied the brakes to slow down to turn, instead the car started to speed up and I could not make the left turn. I continued down the road trying to slow down enough to attempt a left turn on to [redacted] But the car continued to go even faster, so I pumped the brakes trying to slow down and get the car to stop. Instead, the car kept speeding up faster. In seeing I was close to the end of the dead-end road I swerved to the right to avoid the parked Train cars at the end of the road only to crash into the corner of a building which stopped us. At which time I was rendered unconscious. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 26 →
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that after activating the air conditioning the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Also, the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floor causing the braking distance to be extended. The contact stated that there was popping sound coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel in either direction. The contact stated the headlights were dim and failed to properly illuminate the roadway and the rear brake lights also failed illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. …
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a transmission failure, and the transmission was replaced by the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer also replaced the rack and pinion due to an abnormal clunking sound coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. The contact returned to the dealer after driving for 1,000 miles on three occasions. The dealer determined that the vehicle was not experiencing excessive oil consumption. The dealer replaced the motor mounts. The contact related the abnormal oil consumption to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine), which was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Electrical system
We were going south on [redacted] about 25 mph intending to make a left turn onto [redacted] My wife said "slow down or you won't make the turn" to which I replied "I am trying but it won't slow down" As I applied the brakes to slow down to turn, instead the car started to speed up and I could not make the left turn. I continued down the road trying to slow down enough to attempt a left turn on to [redacted] But the car continued to go even faster, so I pumped the brakes trying to slow down and get the car to stop. Instead, the car kept speeding up faster. In seeing I was close to the end of the dead-end road I swerved to the right to avoid the parked Train cars at the end of the road only to crash into the corner of a building which stopped us. At which time I was rendered unconscious. …
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated causing the contact to depress the accelerator pedal to continue driving. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light the vehicle stalled with the message "Auto STOP Off" and to shift to park to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light, battery failure, and low oil light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle remained with the dealer for a month and the contact was informed that the recall repair had been completed. …
2021 Kia Soul engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 29 / 35 / 31 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 7-speed dual-clutch | FWD | 27 / 32 / 29 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 31 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Kia Soul a good car?
Based on 238 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 Soul rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Soul at the same age. It is one of the Soul years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Kia Soul?
The engine & cooling — 184 complaints, 77% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › crank/camshaft position sensor. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (26) and electrical system (15).
How many recalls does the 2021 Kia Soul have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2021 Kia Soul, the most recent from February 17, 2025 (hard parts internal/mechanical). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Soul?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2011 and 2025. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2021. See the full Kia Soul years comparison.
At what mileage do 2021 Kia Soul problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 43% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.