Recalls, complaints, and safety data from NHTSA
The 2016 Kia Soul has 2 recalls, 782 complaints, and a 5-star overall safety rating from NHTSA.
2
Recalls
782
Complaints
★★★★★
Safety Rating
Data source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) · Last updated April 8, 2026
19V120000
ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust ga...
17V608000
STEERING
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 ste...
Overall
★★★★★
Front Crash
★★★★★
Side Crash
★★★★★
Rollover
★★★★★
Rating for: 2016 Kia Soul SUV FWD
| Date ↓ | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | March 22, 2026: driving through town when the engine started making an odd high pitched sound then l... |
| Mar 8, 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE,FIRERELATED | The contact owned a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V12... |
| Mar 2, 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle paint(white) is peeling off 2016 Kia Soul |
| Feb 20, 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I can not gain speed. The dealership says it’s the catalytic converter and there is an active recall... |
| Feb 16, 2026 | STEERING | When car is turning a right, the car turns off. When car is parked & stearing isnt straight car wont... |
| Feb 12, 2026 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | SUBJECT: Engine → Stall → Loss of power while driving: While driving normally, the vehicle began lo... |
| Feb 1, 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the... |
| Jan 30, 2026 | ENGINE | I have put my 3rd Catalytic Convertor on this car. It looses power going uphill. Which is not safe... |
| Jan 19, 2026 | ENGINE | The vehicle is suffering from excessive oil consumption (over 1 quart per 1,000 miles) and a recurri... |
| Dec 30, 2025 | ENGINE | Engine knock engine failure |
| Dec 29, 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I went into the store come out of the store and got in the driver seat shut my door and the rear win... |
| Dec 26, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Safety defect P1326 code is a known indicator of rod bearing wear. When it triggered, the vehicle i... |
| Dec 23, 2025 | ENGINE | Greetings, I have a base 2016 kia soul manual transmission that I thought was under safety recall fo... |
| Dec 17, 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, whi... |
| Dec 12, 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | When the steering wheel tilt is adjusted while driving, the vehicle experiences a complete electrica... |
| Dec 8, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I paid almost 3,500 dollars and Kia kept my car two months and I’m still having transmission issues ... |
| Dec 1, 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The Instrument Cluster, the Speedometer and "NOW" the Odometer are not working--absolutely dead. "N... |
| Nov 30, 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while s... |
| Nov 19, 2025 | STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Several times in the past year the power steering has spontaneously failed requiring significant For... |
| Nov 13, 2025 | AIR BAGS | AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY |