2015 Kia Soul engine problems

What owners report

• “The contact owned a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was smoke coming from the exhaust, with an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the contact exited the vehicle and became…”

  filed Sep 2, 2026

• “Dealer refusing to honor open recall remedy for SC200 / NHTSA 20V750000 on 2015 Kia Soul VIN [XXX], approx 100k miles. Recall shows "no unrepaired recall found" on NHTSA VIN lookup, but KSDS update and engine bearing test were never performed. Kia of Cheyenne states: 1) must pay for recall because…”

  filed Aug 4, 2026

• “Please see attached documents. I have also put them in the US mail. One to KIA: Kia Customer Care Center, Kia Motors America, Inc., P.O. Box 52410, Irvine, CA, 92619-2410 and one to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washing, DC 20590.”

  filed Aug 2, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Related recalls

• An engine compartment fire can occur while driving
  Campaign 20V750000 · Dec 2, 2020
• High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in…
  Campaign 19V120000 · Feb 22, 2019

Related service bulletins

• TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT AND ENGINE INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (SC176Y) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections…

  SC176Y_TSB_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 24, 2026

Engine problems in other Soul years

Other reported problem areas on the 2015 Kia Soul