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2016 Kia Soul

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2016 Kia Soul — Safety Summary

The 2016 Kia Soul has 2 NHTSA safety recalls and 800 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 12 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is engine. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for AI analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.

2
NHTSA Recalls
800
Owner Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
High
Risk Level

NHTSA Safety Ratings

Government crash test results

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Front Crash
★★★★★
Side Crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

NHTSA Recalls

2 recall(s) for this year/model

ENGINE

22/02/2019

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 damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.

Remedy: 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 converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.

STEERING

29/09/2017

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.

Remedy: 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.

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Transport Canada Recalls

12 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database

Steering

2015-11-12

On certain vehicles, insufficient adhesive may have been applied to the steering gear pinion plug at time of assembly. This could allow the plug to loosen and potentially separate from the steering gear assembly, causing a loss of steering which could result in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a new pinion plug with properly applied adhesive. Note: This recall is superseded by recall 2017514. Please see recall 2017514 for more information. <a href="http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&&rn=2017514">Click here for more information</a>.

🍁 Transport Canada #2015535· 24,281.00 units affected

Steering

2017-10-23

On certain vehicles previously repaired under recalls 2014-237 or 2015-535, the pinion plug may not have been secured properly. As a result, the pinion gear may separate from the steering gear assembly causing a loss of steering which could result in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the pinion plug to ensure that the recall repair, if previously conducted, was properly done. Based on the inspection results, the recall repairs will either be redone with an improved method or, if necessary, the steering assembly will be replaced. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 2014-237 and 2015-535. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall(s) will require re-inspection and possible repair.

🍁 Transport Canada #2017514· 25,956.00 units affected

Engine

2019-02-28

Issue: On certain vehicles, the catalytic converter may be damaged by overheating. This could also cause engine damage or an engine failure. An engine failure would cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. An engine failure may also result in a fire. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have the engine software updated. This update will prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. Vehicles will also be inspected for other damage. Depending on the results of the inspection, the catalytic converter and/or the engine may be replaced. Note: A driver may notice any of the following symptoms of this problem: a knocking sound from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, and/or the illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or check engine light.

🍁 Transport Canada #2019101· 8,908.00 units affected

Powertrain

2020-07-07

Issue: On certain vehicles, the transmission could be damaged if the driver shifts to the "P" (Park) position before the vehicle has stopped moving. As a result, the vehicle could move when the shift lever is in the Park position and the parking brake is not used. Safety Risk: Sudden and unexpected vehicle movement could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the Electronic Parking Brake. After the update, the parking brake will activate when the POWER button is turned OFF and the gear shift lever is in the Park position.

🍁 Transport Canada #2020310· 1,179.00 units affected

Engine

2020-11-11

Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This campaign affects vehicles with a 2.0 L GDI engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.

🍁 Transport Canada #2020535· 27,879.00 units affected

Engine

2021-04-06

Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This campaign only affects vehicles equipped with a 1.6 L GDI 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. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

🍁 Transport Canada #2021204· 8,908.00 units affected

High Voltage

2023-03-29

The recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2024-155 Issue: On certain electric vehicles, there could be a problem inside the high-voltage battery. As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit while driving. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to update the battery management system software.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023181· 2,176.00 units affected

Powertrain

2023-10-27

Issue: On certain vehicles, the transmission could be damaged if the driver shifts to the "P" (Park) position before the vehicle has stopped moving. As a result, the vehicle could move when the shift lever is in the Park position and the parking brake isn't used. Note: This recall replaces recall RC132 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2020-310). Vehicles that received a software update under that recall also require this repair. Safety Risk: A parked vehicle that moves suddenly could create the risk of an injury or a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the electronic control unit software.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023582· 3,256.00 units affected

High Voltage

2024-03-07

Issue: On certain electric vehicles, there could be a problem inside the high-voltage battery. As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit while driving. Note: This recall replaces recall RC180 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2023-181). Vehicles that received a software update under that recall don't require this repair. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to update the battery management system software and, if necessary, replace the high-voltage battery.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024155· 2,310.00 units affected

Electrical

2024-06-14

Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring for the heated seat could disconnect and cause the seat heaters to overheat. Safety Risk: A seat heater that overheats could create the risk of a burn injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the seat heater electronic control unit. The dealer will also replace the seat heater pad(s), as necessary.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024345· 38,309.00 units affected

Label

2024-08-15

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.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024549· 647,384.00 units affected

Brakes

2024-12-13

Issue: Over time, the brake lines under the vehicle could corrode. If this happens, a brake line could fail and leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced braking. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the brake lines. The dealer will apply an anti-corrosion treatment and replace the brake lines, if required.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024760· 59,360.00 units affected

Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.

Owner Complaints

800 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA

Top complaint categories:

ENGINE333 (42%)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING51 (6%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER47 (6%)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE45 (6%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE30 (4%)

Want the full picture?

The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds AI-powered analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.

Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.