"How reliable is the 2016 Kia Soul?"

"Based on 1103 NHTSA complaints, the 2016 Kia Soul has a median complaint mileage of 80500 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

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

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 1103 total complaints filed."

2016 Kia Soul: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1103 complaints

1103

Total Complaints

80,500mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

57,568 25th Percentile

80,500 Median Mileage

107,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

533

Unknown Or Other

113

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train

Electrical System

Catalytic Convertor

Vehicle Speed Control

Steering

Air Bags

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE PANIC BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB IS NOT RECESSED SO IT ACTIVATES WHEN YOU DON'T WANT IT TO. I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH THE KIA DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND ALSO KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND BOTH COULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. ANYTIME I HAVE THE KEY FOB IN MY POCKET IT IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE TH..."

"DRIVING THIS CAR HIGH SPEEDS (FREEWAY) FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME (30 MINUTES OR MORE PER DAY) FOR MORE THAN 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS AFFECTS MY OVERALL HEALTH AND ABILITY TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT GET CHRONIC HEADACHES, TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, SLEEPING PROBLEMS, DIZZINESS, FORGETFULNESS, EXHAUSTION, AND ANXIET..."

"WHILE DRIVING IN REGENERATIVE BRAKE MODE AND COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT, I LET THE REGENERATIVE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR TO AROUND 10 KM/HR THEN APPLIED THE NORMAL BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE REST OF THE WAY. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT ENGAGE WHATSOEVER. I DID NOT FEEL ANY RESISTANCE AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 533 complaints

25th: 66,000 mi Median: 85,665 mi 75th: 108,307 mi

Unknown Or Other 113 complaints

25th: 40,000 mi Median: 75,000 mi 75th: 95,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 77 complaints

25th: 44,012 mi Median: 72,617 mi 75th: 85,075 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 60 complaints

25th: 83,500 mi Median: 100,300 mi 75th: 117,500 mi

Power Train 58 complaints

25th: 51,284 mi Median: 76,000 mi 75th: 90,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 123 FL: 97 TX: 85 GA: 63 OH: 59 NC: 54 PA: 46 WA: 44 IL: 40 SC: 36

Who Files Complaints?

0.4%

Original Owners

99.6%

Second+ Owners

Kia Soul — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2010	192	20,500	Electrical System	31
2011	270	50,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	43
2012	663	90,000	Engine	41
2013	850	98,000	Engine	32
2014	1203	85,000	Engine	52
2015	1196	85,000	Engine	59
2017	338	73,000	Engine	21
2018	268	54,000	Engine	19
2019	180	36,377	Engine	20
2020	458	12,000	Engine	12
2021	257	34,000	Engine	24
2022	112	50,000	Engine	4
2023	81	17,000	Unknown Or Other	9
2024	32	-	Electrical System	0

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Engine

Campaign 19V120000 | 22/02/2019

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.

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 ma

Steering

Campaign 17V608000 | 29/09/2017

If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

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

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28