{"id":"2016_kia_soul","make":"Kia","make_slug":"kia","model":"Soul","model_slug":"soul","year":2016,"url":"/kia/soul/2016/","pts":["bev","gas"],"configs":[{"id":36553,"model":"Soul Electric","pt":"bev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (A1)","cyl":null,"displ":null,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":120,"hwy":92,"comb":105,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":31.9856,"range":93,"range_city":104,"range_hwy":80,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":4.0,"charge240b":0.0,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"81 kW AC PMSM","fuel":"Electricity","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":0,"fe_score":10,"ghg_score":10,"fuel_cost":700,"save_spend":7750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2016"},{"id":36233,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":24,"hwy":31,"comb":27,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":337,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2300,"save_spend":-250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2016"},{"id":36234,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":24,"hwy":30,"comb":26,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":335,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2400,"save_spend":-750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2016"},{"id":36235,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Manual 6-spd","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":24,"hwy":30,"comb":26,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":338,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2400,"save_spend":-750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2016"},{"id":36232,"model":"Soul ECO dynamics","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":24,"hwy":30,"comb":26,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":337,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2400,"save_spend":-750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2016"}],"vclass":"Small Station Wagons","segment":"Wagon","recalls":[{"campaign":"23V724000","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE","mfr":"Kia America, Inc.","reported":"2023-10-26","owner_notified":"2023-12-21","units":6262,"summary":"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.","consequence":"Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC287","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":["bev"],"severity":"minor"},{"campaign":"23V218000","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY","mfr":"Kia America, Inc.","reported":"2023-03-29","owner_notified":"2023-08-18","units":2689,"summary":"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.","consequence":"A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC267","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":["bev"],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"20V389000","component":"POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2020-07-02","owner_notified":"2020-08-07","units":3714,"summary":"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.","consequence":"Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC191","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":["bev"],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V120000","component":"ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2019-02-22","owner_notified":"2019-04-17","units":378967,"summary":"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.","consequence":"Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.  A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape.  The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.","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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC176","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"17V608000","component":"STEERING","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2017-09-29","owner_notified":"2017-11-16","units":342381,"summary":"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.","consequence":"If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.","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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC155","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":5,"critical_count":2,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":51,"grade":"F","complaints":{"count":812,"crash":29,"fire":34,"injured":25,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Engine",552],["Unspecified",122],["Engine And Engine Cooling",107],["Fuel/Propulsion System",80],["Power Train",64],["Electrical System",58]],"by_year":{"2016":4,"2017":16,"2018":20,"2019":84,"2020":79,"2021":105,"2022":134,"2023":133,"2024":102,"2025":86,"2026":49},"excerpts":[["2023-09-18","Electrical System","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 percentage display rejected an\u2026"],["2021-08-16","Engine And Engine Cooling","My vehicle has a check engine light on. In an attempt to repair the code was identified as a catalytic converter failure. My engine is burning oil excessively now. The costs are far beyond my means to repair despite meticulous maintenance."],["2021-08-11","Engine","My husband was exiting the highway when the engine began to sputter and then \"explode\" into a cloud of smoke from the engine and tail pipe. There was a oil smell. The car was towed to the local Firestone where my husband was told the engine now has a hole in it. Just a few months ago the engine was worked on because on\u2026"]]},"investigations":[{"action":"RQ23005","component":"POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:PARK PAWL","opened":"2023-09-10","closed":"2024-01-16","campaign":"23V724","subject":"Vehicle Rollaway","summary":"On July 2, 2020, Kia America Inc. (Kia) filed safety recall 20V-389 for model year (MY) 2015-2016 Kia Soul EV vehicles. This recall was in response to allegations of unintended vehicle movement while in Park and provided updated electronic control unit software for the electronic parking brake logic as the remedy. The updated logic, which was included during production for MY 2017-2019 Kia Soul EV vehicles, automatically activates the electronic parking brake when the vehicle is powered off while the gear shift lever is in the Park position. On September 10, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ23-005) to investigate allegations of unintended vehicle movem"},{"action":"DP22005","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM","opened":"2023-01-27","closed":"2023-08-07","campaign":"22V063000","subject":"Pedestrian alert sounds","summary":"NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt"},{"action":"EA21003","component":"ENGINE","opened":"2021-12-22","closed":"2024-02-05","campaign":"23V877","subject":"Engine Fires","summary":"On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.\u00c2\u00a0 During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types.\u00c2\u00a0 The remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement.\u00c2\u00a0 Additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software mo"}],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV FWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.147,"seats":5,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"No","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":66,"headline":{"range":93,"mpg":27,"ncap":5,"complaints":812},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}