2021 Kia Soul engine problems

132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2021 Kia Soul — 57% of all complaints for this model year.

132

Engine complaints

57%

share of all complaints

41,000 mi

median reported incident mileage

1 / 1

crash / fire reports

What owners report

“Recall 25V099/SC336 was not performed on my vehicle when it was in the dealership. My vehicle is now disabled at Capitol Kia San Jose with complete engine failure. They are denying any responsibility and refusing repair coverage. I have written a formal letter to Kia Corporation requesting an…”
filed Sep 9, 2026
“The check engine light came on in the car and within a few minutes while looking for a safe place the pull over there was a foul smell coming from the engine, followed by many error lights on the dash and the car losing the ability to accelerate and drive. The car had to be towed to a local repair…”
filed Sep 8, 2026
“My kia soul has high oil consumption. When informed of the recall for the piston rings, I had First Team Kia look at it. They informed me that they didn't see anything wrong so they cleared the recall. They NEVER performed the oil consumption test. Within 3 weeks, I traveled over 800 miles, round trip, and upon my…”
filed Sep 4, 2026

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