2016 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,140 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Kia Soul, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 81/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 91,042 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2016 Kia Soul sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2019, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2016 sits among all Soul years
What owners report
“Catalytic converter is overheating resulting in a check engine light. The code is P0420.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
“Check engine light on more than off or so it seems. Engine code p0s0a. Dealer attempts to fix. Code comes back”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
“Catilac converter. Kia refused to fix says not a recall. But 2017 kia manufacturing says it's a recall and now my check engine light appears and that needs to be fixed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
“The lights flickered and I lost both head lights. Head light bulbs keep going out randomly. Sometimes both at the same time. I have replaced them 4 times this year.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
“Blown engine after some work was done under current recall (catalytic converter replacement)”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
“Cruise control doesn't maintain speed, speed decreases. Car shakes under 10 mph and after 40 mph. Engine light starts blinking.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Soul
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 508 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 81,800 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 107,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and…
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Technical service bulletins
131 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Kia Soul. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2016 Kia Soul drew 1,140 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 81/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2016 Kia Soul problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Kia Soul are engine (656 complaints), other (126), and fuel system (79).
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Soul problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Kia Soul problems around 81,800 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 107,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Kia Soul have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.