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Recalls, inspection results and owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Soul, from official sources in the US, Canada and Europe. To check one specific car, enter its VIN or plate.
We checked recall campaigns for this vehicle, or for its model where the register works by model.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation) · US public domain
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. Remedy: 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.
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. Remedy: 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.
We checked Transport Canada's recall database for this make, model and year.
Source: Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Open Government Licence – Canada
Issue: On certain vehicles, the piston oil rings may not have been manufactured properly and could damage the cylinder walls. As a result, the engine could make abnormal noises, and a warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L MPI engine. Safety Risk: An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power to the wheels and/or increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Both issues could increase the risk of a crash or injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine. The dealer will also install a software that will monitor the engine and warn you if it detects a problem. If you see this warning, you should contact a dealership to arrange replacement of the engine.
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine's piston oil rings may be defective. This can cause engine wear that can lead to increased oil consumption. Eventually, this can create abnormal engine noise and the oil pressure warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail. Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu MPI engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the engine. The engine will be replaced, if necessary. The dealer will also install a Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software update, to alert the driver of potential damage before an engine failure occurs.
We checked the EU Safety Gate for recall alerts naming this model and its production years.
Source: EU Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC BY 4.0, © European Union
The electric power control unit (EPCU) may leak coolant internally which can cause a loss of driving power, creating a risk of an accident. Production: 06/2020 - 09/2020 (Soul EV); 06/2020 - 12/2020 (Niro EV). Types: e4*2007/46*1365*04; e4*2007/46*1139*09.
The open circuit of the bus bar generating a vehicle malfunction producing a DTC. The bus bar is the large socket which is fixed by screws on the injection computer (ECU) the loose plug can lead to injection faults, hence the risk of pollution emission at the exhaust. Production: Soul EV: from 7 January 2020 to 11 January 2020 Niro EV: from 8 January 2020 to 17 January 2020. Types: Niro de e4*2007/46*1139*09 à e4*2007/46*1139*09 Soul de e4*2007/46*1365*02 à e4*2007/46*1365*02.
Defective software may impair the functioning of the brake booster. Production: The affected vehicles were manufactured between 20 April 2018 and 25 November 2020.. Types: Type-approval number: e4*2007/46*1365*; Type: SK3.
The "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" could be switched on incorrectly. That can impair the braking performance of the vehicle, increasing the risk an accident. Production dates not stated in the alert. Types: e4*2007/46*1365.
How cars of this model and year did at Norway's periodic inspection, across a full year of tests.
Source: Statens vegvesen, periodic inspections (EU-kontroll) · CC BY 4.0
Problems owners of this model reported to NHTSA, grouped by component.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation) · US public domain
Crash-test ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation) · US public domain