- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 27
- combined
Open recalls on record
2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Kia Soul
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 802
- Complaints citing a crash
- 29
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 19V120000high
Engine issue
ENGINE
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 17V608000high
Steering issue
STEERING
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Kia Soul.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 14.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- No
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2016 Kia Soul 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 14.7% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2016 Kia Soul, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
24
City
31
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 337 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2016 Kia Soul against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 337 grams per mile — about 5.1 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
802 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 802
- Total
- 29
- Crashes
- 34
- Fires
- 24
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE615
- OTHER53
- FUEL SYSTEM22
- ELECTRICAL21
- BRAKES19
Notable Issues
802 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 24 reports involve injuries. 29 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Kia Soul, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Recall
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.
- Recall
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Small Station Wagons
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 2L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
24
City
31
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,300
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21003
Engine Fires
- Recall
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.
- Recall
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.