{"id":"2021_kia_soul","make":"Kia","make_slug":"kia","model":"Soul","model_slug":"soul","year":2021,"url":"/kia/soul/2021/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":42497,"model":"Soul Eco dynamics","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (variable gear ratios)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":29,"hwy":35,"comb":31,"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":287,"fe_score":7,"ghg_score":7,"fuel_cost":2000,"save_spend":1250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42496,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (variable gear ratios)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":28,"hwy":33,"comb":30,"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":302,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2100,"save_spend":750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42499,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S7)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":27,"hwy":32,"comb":29,"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":309,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2150,"save_spend":500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42498,"model":"Soul","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Manual 6-spd","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"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":332,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2300,"save_spend":-250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"}],"vclass":"Small Station Wagons","segment":"Wagon","recalls":[{"campaign":"25V099000","component":"ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL","mfr":"Kia America, Inc.","reported":"2025-02-17","owner_notified":"2025-04-04","units":137256,"summary":"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.","consequence":"Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.","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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC336","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"21V259000","component":"ENGINE","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2021-04-13","owner_notified":"2021-06-11","units":147249,"summary":"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.","consequence":"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.","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.","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":"SC209","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"}],"recall_count":2,"critical_count":2,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":70,"grade":"C","complaints":{"count":231,"crash":12,"fire":3,"injured":5,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Engine",131],["Engine And Engine Cooling",48],["Unspecified",26],["Power Train",26],["Electrical System",15],["Service Brakes",10]],"by_year":{"2020":3,"2021":15,"2022":12,"2023":25,"2024":14,"2025":92,"2026":70},"excerpts":[["2023-01-30","Engine","On or approximately January 6, 2023 my 2021 Kia Soul with ISG technology began to display Check Engine Light. Took to AutoZone where they hooked to analyzer and came up with P0017 code. Notified local Kia dealership (Galeana in Columbia, SC) and was told could not get appointment until 01/24. Told if engine light no bl\u2026"],["2023-01-12","Engine","On 12/29/2022, the check engine light came while driving to work on my 2021 Kia (25k miles). I called the dealership right away and made an appointment for inspection the next day. At lunch time the same day, I got into my car and went through a local drive thru. On the way back, the vehicle stalled out WHILE driving. \u2026"],["2023-01-07","Engine","On 12/28 at approximately 5:00 pm my vehicle shut off 2 times within a span of 30 minutes while I was driving it. It happened on approach to a highway. It was NOT the Stop-Start System. My car was moving while it happened. My car lost all power, and every warning indicator flashed in my dash and I even lost my power st\u2026"]]},"investigations":[{"action":"AQ25001","component":"ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL","opened":"2025-08-06","closed":"2025-12-18","campaign":"","subject":"Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness","summary":"On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccold\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 engine to a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwarm\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 en"}],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV FWD","overall":4,"frontal":4,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.147,"seats":5,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"Optional","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":66,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":31,"ncap":4,"complaints":231},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}