The 2020 Kia Soul has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 147,249 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 488 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 20, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE21V2590002021-04-13147,249 affected
Defect
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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
226
3crashes6fires3injuries
POWER TRAIN
84
1crashes1fires2injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
48
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
27
1crashes8deaths
STEERING
16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
15
1crashes
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
12
1crashes1fires
SERVICE BRAKES
10
1crashes1fires
STRUCTURE:BODY
8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
7
Total complaints488
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“On xxx my family and I were heading home from a family vacation. My engine burned through the oil that was put in my car on xxx. No low oil pressure light came on and there was no warning my vehicle had problems with the oil. We took our car to a kia dealership in [xxx] and that’s when I was…”
“Vehicle has 22000 miles and has a major/excessive oil consumption and engine failure. Exhaust camshaft (broken pin) exhaust cvvt (broken pin) these components breaking caused the vehicle to stall and completely shut the vehicle down while driving 70 mph on the freeway. The vehicle was inspected by…”
“A service campaign/safety recall was issued, necessitating an engine replacement. Bramlett kia in [xxx], performed this service in late may/early june of 2025. It took them an entire six weeks to do the work. Upon completion of the job, my husband attempted to drive it off their lot, only for the…”
“The car began making a weird noise and stalling. Then close to home if shut off, I was able to restart it and drove a short distance to home. Realized couldn't drive it like that and contacted city kia greater orlando dealer. Towed the car to the indicated destination and after about four days (it…”
“Jeff smith kia in perry was doing the maintenance they went out of business kia hutchinson I told several employees more than once that I was having problems the car would slowly shut down and cut off start then stop on the hey I had to call tow trucks have rentals there was a chainsaw sound…”
“Jeff smith kia in perry was doing the maintenance they went out of business kia hutchinson I told several employees more than once that I was having problems the car would slowly shut down and cut off start then stop on the hey I had to call tow trucks have rentals there was a chainsaw sound…”
“I recently bought this 2020 kia soul the 2 l engine and i’ve noticed every 700 miles 1 quart of oil in this concerns me because how do I not affect it would’ve ran dry and burn the motor up that me is safety. I understand that they have it to replace motor and engine for the original owner,…”
“While driving on the interstate at approximately 70 mph, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of forward motive power. The engine revved, but the vehicle completely ceased forward acceleration and could not maintain highway speeds. This created an immediate safety hazard, forcing me to…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2020 Kia Soul as of
July 20, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.