2016 Kia Soul engine problems
556 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2016 Kia Soul — 69% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately and lost motive power while driving. The contact was able to continue driving at reduced power. Additionally, there were abnormal sounds coming from under the hood, excessive engine oil consumption…”
filed Sep 16, 2026
“My car is under 130000 miles and about two years ago I already had to replace one catalytic converter. The past six months the oil usage of my car, which has always been high and requires frequent topping off and more frequent oil changes at my mechanic, has gotten even worse. A check engine light…”
filed Sep 16, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- 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, 2026PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2002B FL701) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2014-2016 MY…
PI2002B_OWNR_701 · Other · issued Feb 24, 2026
Engine problems in other Soul years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Soul | 4 | 14% |
| 2023 Soul | 13 | 26% |
| 2022 Soul | 51 | 58% |
| 2021 Soul | 132 | 57% |
| 2020 Soul | 235 | 62% |
| 2019 Soul | 87 | 64% |
| 2018 Soul | 140 | 64% |
| 2017 Soul | 190 | 70% |
| 2015 Soul | 628 | 70% |
| 2014 Soul | 552 | 61% |
| 2013 Soul | 283 | 43% |
| 2012 Soul | 209 | 41% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Kia Soul
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.