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2016 Kia SoulProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 824 owner complaints about the 2016 Kia Soul, most often about the engine. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-120 the manufacturer reports only 59% of affected cars repaired.

2016 Kia Soul
27
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.7× the Soul median · #3 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 59%Owner complaints82480 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage86kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 4, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2016 Kia Soul has problems

824 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine56633
Engine and engine cooling1084
Fuel/propulsion system855
Power train622
Electrical system569
Vehicle speed control334
Steering302
Structure196
Service brakes193
14 other systems7521

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2016 Kia Soul recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

59%repaired · 2020 Q3

Engine

Recall 19V-120 · Feb 22, 2019 · 378,967 vehicles · 224,743 repaired

Risk. Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

61%repaired · 2019 Q1

Steering

Recall 17V-608 · Sep 29, 2017 · 342,381 vehicles · 208,174 repaired

Risk. If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Kia.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

86kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 235 engine complaints. 64% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 44% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
12under 30k miles150under 100k miles85100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

36 owners mentioned a cost

$2,115median

Middle half: $950 – $6,000

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2016 vs. every other Soul year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Soul median. How we score

'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2016 Kia Soul safety ratings

2016 Kia Soul SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2016 Kia Soul frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2016 Kia Soul side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2016 Kia Soul side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (14.7% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2016 Kia Soul, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Engine FiresEA21003 · closed Feb 5, 2024
    Led to recall 23V-877
In owners' words

What Soul owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

My vehicle was towed to the dealer to address a recall. Campaign 19V120/SC176. I advised them I had codes #300, 303 &304. I requested a compression test & documentation of the findings. They instead cleared the codes, addressed the ksds software update & declared the car "fixed". Upon leaving, the…
Complaint 11775679 · Nov 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that prior to the dealer visit, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact…
Complaint 11775619 · Nov 4, 2026 · 230,000 miles
As the original owner of this 2016 Kia Soul (approx. 124,000 miles), I am filing this safety and consumer compliance complaint for severe engine failure and a failure of manufacturer recall notification systems. On [XXX], my vehicle experienced severe power loss on the highway and extreme oil…
Complaint 11775589 · Nov 4, 2026

Own a 2016 Soul?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.