Lemon Law Check › 2016 Kia Soul

2016 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Complaints

The 2016 Kia Soul has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 794 owner complaints filed with federal regulators, with complaints concentrated in engine. Owners whose Soul has needed repeated repairs for the same warranty problem may qualify for a buyback or compensation under state lemon laws.

Most-reported problem areas

Complaint counts by vehicle system, from 794 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Kia Soul:

Engine364 complaints
Engine and engine cooling99 complaints
Unknown or other88 complaints
Power train60 complaints
Electrical system50 complaints
Steering30 complaints

What owners told federal regulators

"Loses power and dies also uses alot of oil and a day after oil change i have to get more oil in it the first month i had the car it died the first week and lost power on the highway the said the cadillac converter was clogged"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2021
"I went into the store come out of the store and got in the driver seat shut my door and the rear windshield exploded. i looked it up online and there are other customer complaints of the kia soul with the same issue of the rear window exploding i called kia and they told me ev…"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/30/2025
"I am experiencing the same headlight problem as has been reported for 2014-15 kia souls. mine is a 2016 kia soul. the headlights go out intermittently when turning a corner or when signalling for a turn. i had it diagnosed at my dealership and they stated it was the multi-func…"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/29/2023

NHTSA recall campaigns (2)

Engine
22/02/2019 · 19V120000
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 engin…
Steering
29/09/2017 · 17V608000
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.

Recall repairs are performed free of charge at franchised dealers. Check your specific vehicle with the free VIN recall checker.

Has your Soul been in the shop repeatedly?

If the same warranty problem has needed 2+ repair attempts — or your Soul has spent 30+ days out of service — it may qualify for a buyback, replacement, or cash compensation under your state's lemon law. Manufacturers pay the legal fees in most states, so the case review costs you nothing.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Kia Soul?

Based on 794 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas for the 2016 Kia Soul are engine, engine and engine cooling, unknown or other.

How many recalls does the 2016 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are always free at franchised dealers regardless of warranty status.

Is the 2016 Kia Soul a lemon?

A specific vehicle qualifies as a lemon based on its own repair history, not the model's overall record. If your Soul has had engine or other warranty problems repaired 2–4 times without success, or has spent 30+ days in the shop, it may qualify under your state's lemon law — attorneys evaluate this free of charge.

Researching this car as a buyer instead? Read the full Carivo review of the 2016 Kia Soul.

All recall and complaint figures on this page come directly from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal records for this make, model, and year, fetched at page build time and cached daily. Complaint excerpts are owner-submitted reports to NHTSA, lightly truncated. Carivo is an independent data site, not a law firm; lemon law eligibility is determined solely by attorneys under your state's statute.