2020 Kia Soul engine problems

The 2020 Kia Soul has 228 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 48% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

228

Engine complaints

48%

Share of year

Crash-involved

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Soul engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

21V259000EngineApril 13, 2021 · 147,249 units

Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

What owners report

“On August 15, 2023 my 2020 Kia Soul's engine over heated causing a fire under the hood. There after the car smoked and would not turn back on or turn over. ”
Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · August 14, 2023 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2020 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA has 228 complaints about the 2020 Kia Soul engine — 48% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2020 Kia Soul engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 21V259000.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.