2021 Kia Soul Owner Complaints

Vehicle completed Safety Recall 25V-099 (SC336) in April 2026 and developed internal engine noise and stalling. McGrath Arlington Kia (Palatine, IL) recorded a technician video confirming lower engine vibration noise, then deleted the video, ran a late PNSS test (PASS), and Kia Corporate confirmed the dealer omitted the technician's lower-engine noise finding from the mandatory Bulletin SC336YZ Section 2 Techline case to push a customer-pay repair

NHTSA ID

11776346

Incident

Nov 5, 2026

My 2021 Kia Soul Turbo with the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) has an ongoing transmission failure. It has difficulty reversing and accelerating, and the check engine light is on. This creates a safety risk when pulling into traffic or backing up. In September 2026, Westside Kia (Katy, TX) did not identify the root cause and offered only non-warranty repairs, which I paid for and which did not fix the problem. On [XXX], Joe Myers Kia (Houston, TX) diagnosed a failed transmission shift actuator (part #43810-2D205) and quoted $2,777.39. I am the original owner at about 76,500 miles, within Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Kia denied coverage, saying the actuator falls under the expired basic warranty (Kia case #[XXX]). Kia has previously issued Service Action SA396 (DCT replacement on 2019-2020 Soul for harsh shifting and transmission-related check engine lights), TSB TRA083 (7-speed DCT judder), and TSB TRA085 (DCT actuator rod adjustment), indicating known problems with this transmission. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11775671

Incident

Sep 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped at a red light, the engine seized. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, after the dealer diagnosed the vehicle, it was determined that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The dealer refused to perform the recall repair, specifically claiming that the issue was under an engine warranty and not a recall; even though the VIN tool indicated that the VIN was included. The failure mileage was 66,000.

NHTSA ID

11775142

Incident

Nov 2, 2026

Mileage

66,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while accelerating from a traffic light at 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed from the residence to the dealer. The vehicle was still being diagnosed to determine the cause of the engine failure. However, the dealer stated that the failure was not associated with the piston oil rings. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in a range of vehicle with improperly manufactured oil rings. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

NHTSA ID

11774756

Incident

Jul 25, 2026

Mileage

51,000 mi

Subject: Safety Complaint Regarding Kia Recall SC336, Excessive Oil Consumption, and Engine Knocking I am filing this complaint against Valley Kia regarding its handling of Recall SC336 on my 2021 Kia Soul S. I was informed by Valley Kia that the recall repair was completed in May 2025. However, on September 17, 2026, I returned the vehicle because of excessive oil consumption and engine knocking, symptoms consistent with the engine problems addressed by the recall. The dealership changed the oil, but within two weeks, the engine had burned through the oil again. I am concerned that the underlying problem has not been properly diagnosed or corrected. Valley Kia is refusing to adequately address the issue under the recall and is asking me to pay for repairs that I cannot afford. I rely on this vehicle to commute approximately 45 miles each way to work. I am afraid the engine could fail while I am driving on the freeway, potentially putting my life and the lives of other motorists at risk. I am also concerned about the possibility of an engine fire. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter and help determine whether Valley Kia properly completed Recall SC336 and whether my vehicle's current engine problems require further recall-related repairs or other corrective action. I should not have to bear the financial burden of a potentially serious safety defect that may be related to a recall the dealership claims to have completed. Please review this complaint and advise me of the appropriate steps to protect my safety and resolve this matter.

NHTSA ID

11774643

Incident

Sep 17, 2026

We have been in dispute with Hart kia and kia corporate over a reoccurring issue directly related to the recall remedy sc336 oil piston rings manufacturer defect that is affecting my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11774261

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

I bought my car brand new. 5 years later, im driving and come to a stop and stall. Crank up, drive and come.to a stop and stall again. I took to dealership twice and another shop for second review. Shop said I should be covered under the oil piston recall, but need to find out. Dealership at first only.told.me I just needed a tune-up. Then when I took it to the shop for second opinion, kia corporate then told.me.to take back to dealership. I did, on trailer, and then they confirmed what shop said and told.me.i had a bad motor. The dealership then told.me they take it as a trade in since I cant afford a.new motor, but when I get there, they tell me they won't take it. Ive paid.on this car 10 months while.trying to get answers. Now im going g to have this on my credit and I STILL DONT HAVE A CAR 10 MONTHS LATER AS A SINGLE MOM

NHTSA ID

11773473

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

My kia's soul was part of a major safety recall for oil piston ring. The reason it's not showing on a recall list is because they claim to have fixed the issue. And it was removed. The issue is still persistent, and now the car has suffered catastrophic engine failure due to this recall issue. Kia corporate is refusing to rectify.

NHTSA ID

11771357

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

The car was constantly burning through large amounts of oil. One night I was driving and the car started slowing down and lost power completely. This put my safety at Risk because I was on the freeway and came to a complete stop. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and they said it would be 4k to fix and did not fix the recall.

NHTSA ID

11770443

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

Burning oil and piston failure in my 2021 Kia soul. But it’s not the 1 percent under recall. More than just the 1 percent

NHTSA ID

11769404

Incident

Oct 5, 2026

Was driving engine jumped time and stalled out doing 45. Vehicle only has 63499 miles on it. Had it towed to dealership. The vehicle passed the original piston oil ring recall test in 2025 and 15,000 miles later is needing a new engine due to the ineffectiveness of Kia recall.

NHTSA ID

11768671

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

consumer protection complaint against Gateway Kia of North Brunswick for wrongful warranty denial, deceptive business practices, and failure to comply with a federally mandated class action settlement.On Friday, September 25, 2026, my 2021 Kia Soul was left at Gateway Kia due to engine distress. The service department performed a physical mechanical bearing test and confirmed that the vehicle has a failed connecting rod bearing (the engine rod is shot).Despite this definitive physical proof of mechanical failure, the dealership's service department and Kia Corporate Consumer Affairs flatly refused to honor the repair or provide a mandated loaner vehicle. They claimed the vehicle is "out of warranty" and "does not match a recall."This vehicle is explicitly covered under the Kia Nu Engine Class Action Settlement, which legally mandates a Lifetime Warranty Extension for connecting rod bearing wear and failures for qualifying vehicles, regardless of original ownership or standard factory warranty expiration. Furthermore, the settlement explicitly dictates that a free loaner or alternative transportation must be provided while a class vehicle is held for a qualifying engine failure.By running a physical test that proved a settlement-covered mechanical failure, yet refusing to honor the court-ordered warranty extension, Gateway Kia is engaging in deceptive trade practices and violating federal class settlement terms. They are holding my inoperable vehicle while I am forced to maintain a $449.13 monthly finance payment to Credit Acceptance Corporation for a vehicle they refuse to fix.Requested Resolution:I request that the Division of Consumer Affairs investigate Gateway Kia of North Brunswick and compel Kia America, Inc. to immediately authorize the engine replacement under the Class Action Settlement terms.

NHTSA ID

11767450

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

My 2021 Kia Soul was included in Recall SC336 involving defective piston oil rings that may cause increased oil consumption, engine damage, and stalling. The recall remedy was done in June 2025. Kia digitally inspected the engine and said it passed so no engine replacement was performed. Eight months later the car began having symptoms mirroring those of the recall. On February 13, 2026, an independent repair facility documented a check engine light, poor acceleration, timing-related engine fault codes, no oil on the dipstick, less than two quarts of oil recovered from the engine, and no visible external oil leaks. On May 21, 2026, a Kia dealership documented that the vehicle arrived three quarts low. Engine timing and performance issues later required warranty repairs. On Sept. 19 2026, the vehicle stalled while turning onto a busy roadway with four occupants inside. Following the stall event, the vehicle was again found to be extremely low on oil despite documented regular maintenance and oil changes throughout ownership. I’m worried that the recall inspection didn’t identify an affected engine and that the car then developed the symptoms in Recall SC336 - excessive oil consumption, engine-related faults, poor performance, and dangerous stalling. The car is now being evaluated by Kia. I am complaining because I believe NHTSA should know a vehicle that passed the SC336 recall inspection within months developed symptoms resembling the condition that recall was intended to address. I have been informed by the dealership that because Recall SC336 was already completed, Kia would not allow the recall process to simply be performed again. My concern is that the vehicle was determined to have passed the recall inspection but then developed all of the recall symptoms. I am concerned that the recall history is not being considered as part of the current diagnosis and that the underlying condition addressed by SC336 was not identified despite the vehicle having symptoms.

NHTSA ID

11766643

Incident

Sep 19, 2026

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 immediate review of my vehicle. With this being an NHTSA recall I am hoping to get some intervention somewhere regarding this situation.

NHTSA ID

11763092

Incident

Aug 1, 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 shop who inspected the car and found that the engine a thrown a rod through the engine block.

NHTSA ID

11762913

Incident

Sep 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.

NHTSA ID

11762182

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

Mileage

188,000 mi

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 return home I had to put 4 qrts of oil back in my car. I took my car to Southern Auto. They performed the oil consumption test that revealed the car has high oil consumption, burning 3.5 qrts of oil within 1000 miles. This engine could freeze up at any given moment putting my life and many other lives at risk as I drive this car daily on the interstate for work. The dealer confirmed there is a high oil consumption. No one has inspected this vehicle because First Team cleared the recall without properly testing my vehicle for the said issue. No lights are on the dashboard but I an constantly topping off my oil atleast 1-2 times a week.

NHTSA ID

11762118

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the high oil consumption might cause a fire in the engine bay due to a failure with the piston rings. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as the possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the vehicle did not experience a specific failure, even though all the other issues the vehicle had experienced were listed in the recall notice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 215,000.

NHTSA ID

11757683

Incident

Oct 31, 2023

Mileage

215,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but continued to stall each time the vehicle was stopped. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone for an unknown diagnostic test and then towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was also towed to an independent mechanic and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, and it was determined that there was sludge inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

NHTSA ID

11756957

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Mileage

109,000 mi

My 2021 KIA Soul has a recall order for P1327 code which is the knocking noise from the piston ring. The KIA dealership in Idaho Falls is denying the recall order, claiming that it has to be from the upper chamber, not the lower chamber. Which is not stated in the recall letter. They have done everything to avoid this recall. I have evidence that they know the engine have all the symptoms of the piston ring, but trying to avoid everything to replace the engine. They even deny giving the part name that is causing the knocking noise and not giving me the diagnostic report. Even charging $6,000 for the engine replacement.

NHTSA ID

11756376

Incident

Jul 21, 2026

My 2021 Kia Soul has stalled unexpectedly while being driven on multiple occasions. When the vehicle stalls, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses propulsion, creating a risk of a collision, particularly if it occurs in moving traffic. There have been no warning lights or messages before the vehicle stalls or when the stalling occurs. The vehicle has severe engine oil consumption. After approximately 3,000 miles, the oil level can become so low that no oil is visible on the dipstick. I do not know whether the excessive oil consumption is causing the stalling, but I believe that to be the reason. I previously brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership while it was under warranty because of the oil-consumption problem. The dealership told me that the vehicle was probably leaking oil, that a part needed to be ordered, and that they would contact me when the part arrived. They never contacted me, and the problem was not resolved. I have since reported the repeated stalling and excessive oil consumption to Kia corporate. Kia instructed me to return the vehicle to the dealership for additional testing. I told Kia that I do not feel safe driving the vehicle approximately 40 minutes to the dealership because it has repeatedly stalled while being driven. I asked whether Kia would tow the vehicle, but Kia would not commit to providing a tow. I also asked Kia to put in writing its instruction that I should drive the vehicle to the dealership despite the reported stalling, and Kia declined. The vehicle remains available for inspection. The cause of the repeated stalling is most likely due to burning of excessive oil. I am concerned about an unexpected loss of propulsion occurring again while the vehicle is in traffic.

NHTSA ID

11756001

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11755927

Incident

Apr 4, 2026

Mileage

65,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be added to the engine after driving every 30 miles. Additionally, on one occasion while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled and failed to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,261.

NHTSA ID

11755064

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Mileage

102,261 mi

Took my vehicle in a year ago for the oil piston recall to the Kia dealer in North Huntington, Pa. I was told they corrected the recall during other servicing. My vehicle just broke down and is unable to be driven due to this unresolved issue.

NHTSA ID

11751625

Incident

Jul 19, 2026

Noise while driving and over bumps and steering

NHTSA ID

11750863

Incident

Jun 30, 2026