2021 KIA SOUL Complaints

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle had stalled. During the failure, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the oil level was extremely low, due to a faulty cam shaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 96,000.

Hi I keep needed a oil change on this vehicle please have Kia to check why thanks and I sometimes smell oil out of no where thanks [XXX] [XXX] and I have had serval oil changes at Walmart only since I got the vehicle from carmax INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and accelerating, the vehicle occasionally shuddered or stalled, forcing the contact to pull over onto the side of the road to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone, where a diagnostic scan retrieved information for a cylinder #1 misfire. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that further diagnostic testing was required to determine the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.

The engine in my 2021 Kia Soul has been experiencing serious performance issues consistent with Recall SC336. The vehicle has erratic RPM fluctuations while idling and has stalled multiple times at stoplights and in traffic. When this happens, it fails to restart immediately, leaving me stranded and creating a serious safety risk. The vehicle has been at Step One Kia in Fort Walton Beach, FL, for 2 weeks. The dealership claimed the issue was caused by a clogged air filter, replaced it, & stated the car was “adequately repaired.” However, when I attempted to pick up the vehicle, the Check Engine Light was still on. The owner of the dealership took the keys back and said I would receive a follow-up call on Monday. No call was ever received. I contacted Kia Headquarters and was told to “pick up the car and drive it if I choose to” because there is no remedy available. When I requested a loaner vehicle, I was initially told it was not guaranteed because this was "not an engine issue." When I pointed out that the symptoms were directly related to engine failure, the representative backtracked and said a loaner was simply "not guaranteed." 1. A clogged air filter does NOT cause stalling at idle or failure to restart. A clogged filter would cause gradual power loss, not sudden shutoffs. 2. The Check Engine Light remained on after the repair, proving the issue was not fixed. 3. The dealership refused to conduct recall-related tests, including the PNSS and oil consumption tests. The car stalls in traffic, increasing crash risk. It fails to restart immediately, leaving me stranded. Kia’s refusal to diagnose the issue properly puts my safety at risk. The vehicle is still at the dealership but has not been properly inspected for recall-related failures. Kia refuses to acknowledge a remedy and denies a loaner vehicle. Since these symptoms match Recall SC336, I urge NHTSA to investigate Kia’s failure to inspect and repair affected vehicles.

[XXX], driving down highway [XXX] the car lost power. I was able to start it up again but was misfiring where I drove it home. I had it towed on March 12 to Koon Kia Service, 9610 Reistertown Road, Owings Mill, MD 21117-4128. On Friday, March 14, 2025 I spoke with Blaine in the Service department and he said I after a diagnostic my car indicates that I need a new engine to repair my car. Today, I called and spoke with Blaine and told him about the recall SC336 and he said the was no remedy for this recall. I told him I would call Kia Customer service which I did and received case #[XXX] from Denise. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was completing a U-turn, and the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact came to a complete stop while approaching a red light; after the light turned green, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle responded and was driven to the destination. The following day the contact’s wife attempted to drive the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine light warning illuminated. The following day, the check engine warning light illuminated again while the contact was driving, and the vehicle stalled. The contact towed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 46,500.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and was assisted in pushing the vehicle to a safe location, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine experienced excessive oil consumption. Eventually, while at a stop light with the Auto START/STOP activated, the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the local dealer. The dealer indicated that the engine failed due to a loosened oil filter, which caused oil to leak from the engine. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the piston rings were faulty and had caused the engine to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 141,000.

The engine in my 2021 Kia Soul has been experiencing serious performance issues that align with Recall SC336. The vehicle frequently exhibits erratic RPM fluctuations while idling, and on multiple occasions, it's completely shut down while stopped at traffic lights or in traffic. When this happens, the vehicle does not restart immediately, leaving me stranded / creating a safety risk. I reported this issue to an authorized Kia dealership, but they refused to perform proper diagnostic tests related to the recall. Instead, they blamed a clogged air filter as the cause of the stalling. This explanation does not make sense. Why the Dealership’s Explanation is Incorrect: 1. A clogged air filter does NOT cause sudden stalling at idle or failure to restart. If an air filter were completely clogged, the engine would lose power under acceleration, not stall at idle. The engine requires very little air at idle, so a dirty filter would cause gradual power loss, not sudden shutdowns. 2. My symptoms match Recall SC336, which involves piston oil ring failure. Erratic RPMs, stalling, and failure to restart are all signs of compression loss or internal engine damage. 3. The dealership is refusing to conduct recall-related tests. I requested a PNSS (Piston Noise Sensing System) test and an oil consumption test, but the dealership refused. Instead, they tried to charge me for an air filter replacement, ignoring possible recall-related failure. Safety Risks: The vehicle stalls at stoplights and in traffic, increasing crash risk. The car fails to restart immediately after shutting down, leaving me stranded. Inspection Status: The vehicle is at the dealership, but they have not inspected it for recall-related failures. Kia Corporate was contacted but supported the dealership’s incorrect assessment. Warning Signs Before Failure: Erratic RPM fluctuations at idle began before the first shutdown. Check Engine Light was on but cleared but cleared by the dealership.