2021 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
309 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Kia Soul, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 75,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2021 sits among all Soul years
What owners report
“Unusual engine oil consumption. Engine using 1 quart of engine oil every 1000 miles. Not normal.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Soul
“I put my car in park, turned off my car, and it lit up with an alarm saying that my car was not in park. It doesn't happen every time but it has happened twice.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Soul
“The vehicle started loosing power. The engine would rev up but the car wouldn't go. The car had to be towed to the dealership because the vehicle would not engage into drive or reverse. The dealership is replacing the transmission. It is the IVT transmission”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Soul
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 77 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,000 and 84,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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.
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
116 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2021 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 2021 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2021 Kia Soul drew 309 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2021 Kia Soul problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Kia Soul are engine (175 complaints), other (26), and transmission & drivetrain (26).
At what mileage do 2021 Kia Soul problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Kia Soul problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,000 and 84,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Kia Soul have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 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.