VehicleVerdict

2021 Kia Soul engine problems

The 2021 Kia Soul has 168 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 57% of the year's total, and down from the prior model year.

168

Engine complaints

57%

Share of year

1

Crash-involved

2

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Soul engine complaints by model year682 complaints2010: 14 complaints2011: 28 complaints2012: 239 complaints2013: 324 complaints2014: 601 complaints2015: 682 complaints2016: 651 complaints2017: 198 complaints2018: 139 complaints2019: 88 complaints2020: 228 complaints2021: 168 complaints2022: 69 complaints2023: 13 complaints2024: 4 complaints
Soul engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

25V099000EngineFebruary 17, 2025 · 137,256 units

Defect

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.

Consequence

Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

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.

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

“I was driving and car started to lose power,the service engine light came on less than a minute before the boom.l tried to speed up and then there was a big boom and it was loud, so I went to the shoulder of the road and the car stalled ,I tried to restart the car and it just engulfed into flames.…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · July 4, 2023 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2021 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA has 168 complaints about the 2021 Kia Soul engine — 57% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2021 Kia Soul engine?

Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for this model year are tied to the engine: 21V259000, 25V099000.

Related

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

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.