2021 Kia Soul: problems, recalls and reliability

“Was issued a recall from kia for an oil piston ring that wasn't heat treated properly, kia told me the problem was fixed and the recall shouldn't affect me, my car was in an out of the shop for months after that, they replaced my timing belt and transmission under warranty, said i sould be fine between oil changes my car started knocking, i checked the oil and it was completely dry, no warning lights which is part of the recall fix is early detection warning light. I add oil to my car seems to run better for the day, the next morning on my way to an oil change the engine starts knocking the warning light comes on and then im on the side of the road with all my oil on the ground”Owner report · Engine · May 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. All of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while at a light the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the valve train needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the engine light was illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2026

“took to kia of jackson for recall sc209a they said they would not do recall because i was a dealer ,called customer service and they said do to the fact that i was a dealer it would not be covered kia of jackson [XXX] kia customer service case [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026

“My 2021 Kia Soul experienced repeated overheating despite replacement of major cooling system components including the thermostat and water pump. The vehicle continued to overheat and was later diagnosed by a Kia dealership with engine damage requiring full engine replacement. This failure occurred around 105,000 miles. The symptoms and failure pattern are consistent with known issues affecting similar Kia engines, yet my VIN is not included in any recall. I am concerned this represents a broader defect that may not be fully captured in current recalls.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2026

“Manufacturer defect: Massive paint delamination/adhesion failure on the roof. Large sheets of paint are flaking off while the vehicle is in motion, creating a debris hazard for following drivers and distracting the operator. The failure has exposed the bare metal structure, which may lead to premature rusting.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Apr 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. The VIN was not available.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026