2016 Kia Soul: common problems and reliability

The 2016 Kia Soul has 1600 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 5 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are engine and engine and engine cooling. Owners most often flag catastrophic engine failure (knocking, stalling, seizure) often preceded by excessive oil consumption — very frequent across 2010-2020 models. linked to recalls and extended warranty programs.

Safety record for the 2016 model year

1,600
Owner complaints
5
Recalls
58
Crash reports
68
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2016 Kia Soul vehicles (US, public record).

Where owners report problems

engine
1090
engine and engine cooling
208
fuel/propulsion system
158
power train
128
electrical system
114

Recalls affecting the 2016 Soul

engine

Campaign 19V120000

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 i…

steering

Campaign 17V608000

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.

power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)

Campaign 20V389000

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Kia Soul Electric Vehicle (EV) vehicles. The parking mechanism may become damaged if the driver moves the gear shift lever into Park 'P' before the vehicle comes to…

electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery

Campaign 23V218000

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

What owners say across generations

Mixed to negative sentiment, heavily dependent on model year and engine. The vehicle is consistently praised for its practicality, including exceptional interior roominess, good fuel economy, easy maneuverability, and overall value as a basic, economical trans

  • Catastrophic engine failure (knocking, stalling, seizure) often preceded by excessive oil consumption — very frequent across 2010-2020 models. Linked to recalls and extended warranty programs.
  • Excessive oil consumption/burning — recurrent, noted as a common precursor to major engine issues.
  • Transmission problems — includes laggy acceleration, harsh clunking between gears (particularly 2nd to 3rd), "searching" for gears, and general lack of refinement. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Intermittent starting issues — strong crank but failure to start, or stalling immediately after starting, not consistently linked to battery or starter. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Theft/Break-in attempts — particularly for models without factory immobilizers (pre-2022), leading to smashed windows and attempted theft. Frequency: recurrent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Soul.

Typical used price

Used Soul listings typically run $11,800–$19,709 across 2014 to 2025 model years.

Other Soul model years

2022 Soul2020 Soul2019 Soul2017 Soul2014 Soul
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