IllustrationWhile driving my car it started slowing down all at once like it wasn't getting gas, to about 10 mph. I was traveling approximately 55 mph. The vehicle that was behind me almost rear ended me. Had it checked and they told me that it was related to the cadillac converter (02) system. It needed replaced.
2016 Kia Soul
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Soul years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul are substantially higher than the model-year median of 225.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Soul years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
320–25K
3825–50K
7750–75K
9375–100K
108100–150K
14150K+
362 reports with mileage · 448 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 555 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 83 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
28 crash reports35 fire reports17 injury reports
What owners actually said
810 reportsCARMAX sold a recalled vehicle in 2019 in 2020. KIA has still improperly repaired the vehicle the car is still doing the exactly same thing it was doing. That lead to the repair. After picking within the hour the engine light came back on and had been on ever since. I now have electrical issues with the window since KIA Napelton…
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CARMAX sold a recalled vehicle in 2019 in 2020. KIA has still improperly repaired the vehicle the car is still doing the exactly same thing it was doing. That lead to the repair. After picking within the hour the engine light came back on and had been on ever since. I now have electrical issues with the window since KIA Napelton of Elmhurst repaired the vandalism the wiper is malfunctioned at pick up. I want a refund the vehicle is a safety issue mechanical and for theft.
The car was recalled in 4/2019 for a repair. I purchased the car 8/2020. The repair indicated catalytic converter assessment to ensure that the engine did not need to be replaced. It was not checked or verified. The recall was insufficient done and the car should had never been sold. And the recall was not completed prior. I too…
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The car was recalled in 4/2019 for a repair. I purchased the car 8/2020. The repair indicated catalytic converter assessment to ensure that the engine did not need to be replaced. It was not checked or verified. The recall was insufficient done and the car should had never been sold. And the recall was not completed prior. I took the vehicle in to complete a recall on a hazardous vehicle. Kia had my car for a month and half replacing the engine and within hours of picking up my car the engine light came back on. The car is still doing the exact same thing it was doing leading up to original repair. That Kia was suppose to had fixed. The car is also a theft safety issue as targeted I already paid 2700 for theft vandalism. The car is targeted and unsafe.
My car engine blew and I contacted kia to get the engine replaced under the recall and the refused to do it.
While traveling down 20E around MM83 in South Carolina, the car suddenly lost power and throttled down to around 10-15 miles per hour. Upon having in towed to a garage for a diagnostic, I was told that the catalytic converter had overheated and stalled the vehicle. This appears to be an issue that would be covered under NHTSA Re…
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While traveling down 20E around MM83 in South Carolina, the car suddenly lost power and throttled down to around 10-15 miles per hour. Upon having in towed to a garage for a diagnostic, I was told that the catalytic converter had overheated and stalled the vehicle. This appears to be an issue that would be covered under NHTSA Recall 19V120, dated April 12 2019, which reads in part "Under certain conditions, the catalytic converter may become damaged due to overheating caused by an excessive increase of exhaust gas temperatures." The heat scoring on the catalytic converter and the stall are consistent with this kind of behavior. When I contacted the dealer, they denied any such recall existed. I am currently waiting for a response from Kia America, Inc.
I was driving to Bend, Oregon on the highway when suddenly my car started making clunking noises and the oil light and check engine lights came on. I started to lose power and the car was slowing. I immediately managed to pull over, but it gets very dangerous since it was a busy highway. I had the car towed to a mechanic who sai…
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I was driving to Bend, Oregon on the highway when suddenly my car started making clunking noises and the oil light and check engine lights came on. I started to lose power and the car was slowing. I immediately managed to pull over, but it gets very dangerous since it was a busy highway. I had the car towed to a mechanic who said the engine blew and needed to be replaced. Kia has denied my warranty claims.
The catalytic converter, which is a known issue for Kia Soul models from 2012-2016 has started to show signs of failure- namely code P0420. This is despite having the apparent “fix” as detailed in Kia recall SC176, which was a mere software update. Now that the converter has shown signs of failure, Kia refuses to honor the repla…
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The catalytic converter, which is a known issue for Kia Soul models from 2012-2016 has started to show signs of failure- namely code P0420. This is despite having the apparent “fix” as detailed in Kia recall SC176, which was a mere software update. Now that the converter has shown signs of failure, Kia refuses to honor the replacement as stated in the recall since the vehicle is above 80,000 miles. Clearly, the recall did not fix the issue.
No warning lights/codes. Veh lost power. Was catalytic converter. Veh VIN did not fall under recall. Had to replace converter at our cost. Safety concern? Car had potential fire from overheated converter and could have killed my 19 y/o daughter who drove the car as primary veh. The car is barely 6 years old and just paid it off.…
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No warning lights/codes. Veh lost power. Was catalytic converter. Veh VIN did not fall under recall. Had to replace converter at our cost. Safety concern? Car had potential fire from overheated converter and could have killed my 19 y/o daughter who drove the car as primary veh. The car is barely 6 years old and just paid it off. Got the high end adult version w/ sunroof, leather seats, lights, all bells & whistles. Paid 29k & engine failed due to driving car without knowing converter was bad. Never rec'd notice because our VIN was not included. Dealer wants to charge us 9000$ to replace engine at OUR cost. DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE EVER. THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT UNLESS WE PAY FOR IT. Filed a case w/ Kia Consumer Center, but since engine failure is not covered under warranty, they will not replace engine. We now have a car that is useless. We can't afford another car. This was our mid life car that we thought would last a long time that we passed down to our daughter. She drove it about 6 months before this happened. Literally, as soon as it was paid off, it broke. Horrible car and horrible manufacturer. NEVER EVER NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUY A KIA!!!!
Engine and brake lights have come on. Engine knocks bad. Vehicles stall when pressing gas. Dangerous driving soecialy going through stop sign. Low power while pressing gas.
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and would not exceed 55 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle began to decelerate unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the contact's locatio…
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The contact's girlfriend owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and would not exceed 55 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle began to decelerate unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the contact's location. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged, which created back pressure in the engine and loss of power. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.
Official recalls
219V120000 · Engine; Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor
Feb 22, 2019
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
Remedy: 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. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Additional source detail variants (2)
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 rod failure.
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.
Remedy: 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. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor
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.
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.
Remedy: 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. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
17V608000 · Steering
Sep 29, 2017
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA21003 · Engine Fires
Opened Dec 22, 2021 · Closed Feb 5, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
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. During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types. The remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement. Additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modification known as Knock Sensor Detection Software (KSDS) which is intended to detect impending engine failure, alert the driver, and limit engine power (to lessen likelihood of engine failure).KSDS is being installed under recalls and non-safety field actions, and both companies have extended limited engine warranties (see recall files). On December 22, 2021, ODI upgraded PE19-003 and PE19-004 to this Engineering Analysis (EA21-003, covering both Hyundai and Kia) to evaluate the scope of the prior recalls related to engine failures/fires and the efficacy of the recall remedies for the recalls, as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia. The former issue involved approximately 550,000 MY 2013 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2011 Kia Sorento, and MY 2012-2015 Kia Rio. The latter issue involved approximately 2.5 million recalled vehicles, which have been identified as displaying potential remedy concerns: Hyundai recalls 15V-568, 17V-226, 20V-746, and 21V-727; and Kia recalls 17V-224, 19V-120, 20V-750, and 21V-844. Regarding the recall scope issue, among all of the scope vehicles identified at EA opening, ODI found only the MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with both the Theta II 2.4L 4-cylinder Multi-Point Injection (MPI) and the Lambda II 3.5L 6-cylinder MPI engines experienced relatively high rates of reported fires. In December 2023, Kia issued recall 23V-877 that will cover about 80,000 MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with the Theta II 2.4L MPI engines. The remedy will involve an inspection, and if necessary, a replacement of the engine, as well as the installation of KSDS. It should be noted that in 2021 these vehicles were included in a KSDS product improvement campaign with warranty extension. For the MY 2011 Sorento vehicles equipped with the Lambda II 3.5L engines, ODI believes that future engine failures/fires involving these vehicles will likely be due to a lax in adhering to the proper or scheduled engine maintenance (regular engine oil changes), rather than a design or manufacturing engine issue. Regarding the issue of the efficacy of the recall remedies, ODI found the majority of the recalled Hyundai and Kia vehicles, by model, experienced lower reported fire rates after the remedies were applied. Furthermore, ODI found that for most vehicles that did not receive the recall remedies, by model, experienced relatively high fire rates. To address this problem, Hyundai informed ODI in December 2023, that it will renotify all of its owners covered by the Hyundai recalls of engine failures/fires every 8 months for the next 3 years. In December 2023, Kia stated that it will renotify the majority of its owners every 8 months for the next 3 years.Several previously recalled Kia models are excluded from the renotification due to their lower reported rates of engine fires. Overall, the renotification actions will help to increase the recall completion rates, thus reduce the frequency of engine fires in the future. In view of the recall action being taken by Kia and renotification actions being taken by both Kia and Hyundai, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis. Also, both companies have been released from the 2020-iniated Consent Orders (Kia since November 2022 and Hyundai since November 2023). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.