How many recalls does the 2021 Kia Soul have?

2 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 2021 Kia Soul, alongside 302 owner complaints.

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2021 Kia Soul Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

302 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.36 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical21V259000

Engine

damaged engine may stall, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Critical25V099000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, raises the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

24Crashes

4Fires

12Injuries

0Deaths

Across 302 complaints. Severity Index 0.36.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine — 127 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling — 41 reports
Power Train — 26 reports
Unknown Or Other — 25 reports
Electrical System — 15 reports
Service Brakes — 10 reports
Fuel/Propulsion System — 10 reports
Steering — 9 reports
Visibility/Wiper — 6 reports
Suspension — 5 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2010 (3) · 2011 (3) · 2012 (3) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (4) · 2016 (2) · 2017 (1) · 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (1) · 2021 · 2022 (1) · 2023 (4) · 2024 · 2025

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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