2016 Kia Soul Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 812 owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul.

Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Recalled components: engine and steering. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (197 complaints, 24%), then loss of power or limp mode (145). Most-reported area: engine (557 complaints, 69%; median mileage when it happened: 86,000). Excludes the electric Soul EV.

2 safety recalls for the 2016 Kia Soul

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What owners report

Owners have filed 812 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Soul. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Check engine light197 · 24%
  Median 91,000 miles at failure, from 108 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode145 · 18%
  Median 86,900 miles at failure, from 74 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement145 · 18%
  Median 93,000 miles at failure, from 63 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off while driving138 · 17%
  Median 96,000 miles at failure, from 78 reports with mileage
• Excessive oil consumption98 · 12%
  Median 88,500 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage
• Smoke or a burning smell72 · 9%
  Median 90,000 miles at failure, from 41 reports with mileage
• Hesitation or slow acceleration63 · 8%
  Median 85,200 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration40 · 5%
  Median 85,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine557 · 69%
  Median 86,000 miles at failure, from 234 reports with mileage
• Engine and cooling106 · 13%
  Most named: exhaust system, emission control, catalytic convertor (39) · Median 101,200 miles at failure, from 94 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system83 · 10%
  Median 72,600 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
• Powertrain61 · 8%
  Median 74,500 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
• Electrical system56 · 7%
  Median 63,100 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Speed control33 · 4%
  Median 68,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Steering30 · 4%
• Unknown or other121 · 15%
  Median 75,000 miles at failure, from 37 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Kia Soul recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Soul drew the most (165) and the 2016 drew 35.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Questions