2021 Kia Soul: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle	2021 / kia / soul
known issues	7 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-20)
complaints	232 on file (2020-10-28 → 2026-09-09)
recalls	2
investigations	1
fars	35 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexed	yes
license	CC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Excessive oil consumption from defective piston ringsENGINE26 complaints2022-10 → 2026-07kia-soul-2021-oil-consumption

11731690 the engine is consuming a quart of oil per thousand miles
11687991 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 vehicle consumes one quart of engine oil every 1,000 miles. There were no warning lights illuminated
11710738 On 01/12/2026, I had my 2021 Kia Soul (VIN: [XXX] ) inspected by a technician at J&K Automotive after discovering a significant drop in oil. The technician found the engine oil dipstick completely dry

Electric power steering and lane-keep malfunctionSTEERING3 complaints2023-10 → 2025-05kia-soul-2021-steering-malfunction

11644815 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while turning the ignition on and off, there was a knocking sound coming from the dashboard. After pulling into a parking lot, a red exclamation point illuminated the instrument panel, and the steering wheel seized
11661370 I purchased vehicle in Nov 2025 from Autonation. It drove well for awhile, but once I drove steadily for several miles, the steering wheel started drifting back and forth, rather like it was driving itself
11552757 First off I do not use my lane keep assist. When traveling at any speed on a long curves of 100 to 150 ft or longer or sitting in a parking lot with the steering wheel angled between 15 to 30 degrees either left or right of center for 15 to 30 seconds the system will

Roof paint delamination and peelingSTRUCTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER3 complaints2025-10 → 2026-04kia-soul-2021-roof-paint-peeling

11730709 Manufacturer defect: Massive paint delamination/adhesion failure on the roof. Large sheets of paint are flaking off while the vehicle is in motion, creating a debris hazard for following drivers and distracting the operator
11708427 Paint chipping and peeling in several places
11696108 Paint is peeling on the roof of my 2021 Kia Soul - for no reason. I have read that other KIA owners have this problem and Kia is not taking responsibility for this

Engine stalling and loss of motive power while drivingENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING91 complaints2022-10 → 2026-08kia-soul-2021-engine-stalling

11755927 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
11719469 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that nearby drivers assisted with pushing the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway
11675343 While driving, the vehicle began running rough and stalled shortly after. It would not restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealership, where they diagnosed “excessive cylinder wall scoring” and no engine compression

Piston ring recall repair denied, delayed, or disputedENGINE28 complaints2025-03 → 2026-08kia-soul-2021-recall-repair-denied

11713149 My Kia Soul had a recall for the Pistons to be replaced due to faulty pistons. Now they are saying my engine is needing replacement, even with regular scheduled oil changes being done. They said the top was full of sludge
11695658 Description of Problem: My 2021 Kia Soul experienced complete engine failure consistent with the defect described in Recall 25V099 (SC336), which addresses faulty piston oil rings that can cause engine damage, stalling, and potential fire risk
11740662 2021 Kia Soul | VIN: [XXX] | Recall SC336 (NHTSA 25V099) | Kia America Case No. XXX DEALER: Team Kia of El Cajon, 541 N. Johnson Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020 SYMPTOMS: Rapid oil consumption, abnormal engine noise, overheating, vehicle stalling at complete stops, difficulty restarting

Transmission failure with loss of propulsionPOWER TRAIN13 complaints2023-02 → 2026-06kia-soul-2021-transmission-failure

11525648 I was on the freeway, and the car was shuddering a bit before I lost the ability to accelerate. It would rev but no power to the wheels. Had to pull over and get towed to the dealer. I think it may be a transmission failure
11570756 A few days later on my way to work. I entered the highway the car was running fine at 70mph then all of a sudden it lost power.. No power in the middle of the busy Atlanta Highway!! I was able to coast onto the shoulder. At that point I turned the car off
11716734 The transmission on the vehicle has gone bad twice since we purchased it used. The car has 34,400 miles on it. The problem puts the driver in an unsafe situation as the problem causes the car to lose power while at high speeds

Brake and forward-collision-avoidance failure to stopSERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE8 complaints2023-01 → 2026-03kia-soul-2021-brake-fca-failure

11663556 Driving, slowing down for a stop light. Put the brakes on, they did not work. Push the all the way to the floor. Hit the vehicle in front of me. Luckily going slow between lights
11717950 Description of Incident: On February 9, 2026, at approximately 3:00 PM, I was driving my 2021 Kia Soul on Calvine Road and Winterberry in Elk Grove, CA. A vehicle suddenly merged into my path
11718935 I immediately attempted to apply the brakes, but the pedal failed to depress or engage normally. Despite the imminent collision, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) failed to provide any alert, and the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system did not activate

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

count	earliest_date	latest_date	crash_flagged	fire_flagged	top_components
232	2020-10-28	2026-09-09	12	3	ENGINE:132; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:47; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:26; POWER TRAIN:26; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:15

Recalls all years →

campaign_number	report_received_date	component	summary	consequence	remedy
21V259000	13/04/2021	ENGINE	Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.	A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.	Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
25V099000	17/02/2025	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL	Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.	Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.	Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.

Investigations all years →

action_number	status	subject	components	opened	closed	recall_campaign	summary
AQ25001	closed	Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL	2025-08-06	2025-12-18	·	On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia reques

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_years	occupant_deaths	match_type	vpic_recovered
2010-2024	35	legacy-code	13

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2021 Kia Soul vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/soul

@misc{wrenchpro_2021_kia_soul_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2021 Kia Soul},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/soul}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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