NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 233 owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Soul.
2Safety recalls
233Owner complaints
12Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: engine and cooling and engine. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off while driving (82 complaints, 35%). Most-reported area: engine (133 complaints, 57%; median mileage when it happened: 41,000). Excludes the electric Soul EV.
2 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia Soul
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles.
0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.
NHTSA listing: SOUL. Kia campaign SC209.
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 233 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 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
Stalling or shutting off while driving82 · 35%
Median 66,300 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
Engine failure or replacement58 · 25%
Check engine light51 · 22%
Median 80,000 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
Excessive oil consumption43 · 18%
Loss of power or limp mode34 · 15%
Misfires or rough running15 · 6%
Shaking, shuddering or vibration15 · 6%
Engine knocking, ticking or rattling12 · 5%
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
Engine133 · 57%
Median 41,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Engine and cooling47 · 20%
Median 80,000 miles at failure, from 41 reports with mileage
Powertrain26 · 11%
Electrical system15 · 6%
Brakes10 · 4%
Fuel and propulsion system10 · 4%
Steering9 · 4%
Unknown or other26 · 11%
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 2021 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 2021 drew 55.
Owner complaints
2021: 233 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Soul
Model year
Complaints
2016
812
2017
272
2018
218
2019
136
2020
381
2021
233
2022
88
2023
51
2024
29
2025
12
Safety recalls
2021: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Soul
Model year
Recalls
2016
2
2017
1
2018
1
2019
1
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
4
2024
0
2025
0
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Soul SUV FWD
Rollover risk 14.7%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Soul problems?
In the 233 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Kia Soul, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off while driving (82), engine failure or replacement (58), and the check engine light coming on (51). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Kia Soul safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Kia Soul earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Soul has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SOUL.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.