2021 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 238 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 KIA Soul. That ranks 8th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (138 complaints, 58%), typically at around 41,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 238owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 KIA Soul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 138 | 58% | 41,000 | “piston oil” (16%) | $7,450 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 47 | 20% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 11% | 8,408 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 26 | 11% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 6% | 10,407 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 4% | 4,005 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 4% | 6,005 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 4% | 4,815 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 3% | 814 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 3% | 814 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 2% | 631 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 631 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 400 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 KIA Soul recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: 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.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
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 mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
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 began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
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
- Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness (AQ25001) — opened Aug 6, 2025, closed Dec 18, 2025.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My kia's soul was part of a major safety recall for oil piston ring. The reason it's not showing on a recall list is because they claim to have fixed the issue. And it was removed. The issue is still persistent, and now the car has suffered catastrophic engine failure due to this recall issue. Kia…
The car was constantly burning through large amounts of oil. One night I was driving and the car started slowing down and lost power completely. This put my safety at Risk because I was on the freeway and came to a complete stop. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and they said it would be 4k…
Burning oil and piston failure in my 2021 Kia soul. But itâs not the 1 percent under recall. More than just the 1 percent
Was driving engine jumped time and stalled out doing 45. Vehicle only has 63499 miles on it. Had it towed to dealership. The vehicle passed the original piston oil ring recall test in 2025 and 15,000 miles later is needing a new engine due to the ineffectiveness of Kia recall.
consumer protection complaint against Gateway Kia of North Brunswick for wrongful warranty denial, deceptive business practices, and failure to comply with a federally mandated class action settlement.On Friday, September 25, 2026, my 2021 Kia Soul was left at Gateway Kia due to engine distress…
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 94 | 1 |
| 2021 | 238 | 2 |
| 2020 Soul | 386 | 1 |
| 2019 Soul | 136 | 1 |
| 2018 Soul | 219 | 1 |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 |
| 2015 Soul | 901 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 |
| 2011 Soul | 194 | 3 |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 |
See all KIA Soul 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 2021 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report engine, engine and engine cooling, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 138 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 KIA Soul?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 KIA Soul a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Soul model years, the 2021 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.