2016 KIA Soul EV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul EV years
- Not enough data 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 KIA Soul EV. That ranks 2nd out of 7 Soul EV model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (3 complaints, 43%), typically at around 20,781 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 7owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 KIA Soul EV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 3 | 43% | 20,781 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 29% | 8,216 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 14% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 14% | 25,532 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 14% | 8,731 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 KIA Soul EV recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl); electrical system:software
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall number 20V-389. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-389 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.
Risk: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs, the battery will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC267.
Electrical system:software; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Kia Soul Electric Vehicle (EV) vehicles. The parking mechanism may become damaged if the driver moves the gear shift lever into Park 'P' before the vehicle comes to a complete stop. If the parking mechanism is damaged, unintended vehicle movement may occur when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC191.
Steering
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Vehicle Rollaway (RQ23005) — opened Sep 10, 2023, closed Jan 16, 2024, led to recall 23V724.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was on the charging port, the vehicle failed to hold the charge and only displayed an 83 percent charge. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was fully charged, the energy…
Automatic transmission was placed into park after driving. The car indicated it was in park, however the car rolled - it was not in park. Applying the foot brake worked. Applying the parking brake worked, however the gearshift did not engage park properly.
The horn and alarm dont work even when i set the alarm theres no beep just flashes and ive press the horn multiple times and it doesn't make a sound this occur during driving and after while i was stationary just to check
Backed up driveway to park car in garage. Put car in "park". Got out to clear parking space in garage. Turned around to see car rolling down driveway into wall- while in "park".
Sunroof collapsed while driving to school in the morning without any significant change of temperature.
Other KIA Soul EV years
← 2015 Soul EV · 2017 Soul EV →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Soul EV | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 Soul EV | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 Soul EV | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 Soul EV | 18 | 3 |
| 2016 | 7 | 4 |
| 2015 Soul EV | 6 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul EV | 2 | 1 |
See all KIA Soul EV problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 KIA Soul EV?
Owners most often report power train, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 KIA Soul EV?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 KIA Soul EV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Soul EV model years, the 2016 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.