2021 Kia Soul recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2021 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 2
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 238
Latest campaign: Feb 17, 2025

Recall summary by component2

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Engine and engine cooling	1	Feb 17, 2025	25V099000
Engine	1	Apr 13, 2021	21V259000

Safety recalls2

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Feb 17, 2025Latest campaign


Feb 17, 202525V099000	Engine and engine cooling: engine hard parts internal/mechanical Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. DetailsHide details for campaign 25V099000 What's wrong 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. Risk Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Remedy 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. Campaign NHTSA 25V099000 · Feb 17, 2025
Apr 13, 202121V259000	Engine A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 21V259000 What's wrong 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. Risk 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. Campaign NHTSA 21V259000 · Apr 13, 2021

Feb 17, 202525V099000

Engine and engine cooling: engine hard parts internal/mechanical

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

DetailsHide details for campaign 25V099000

What's wrong: 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.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: 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.
Campaign: NHTSA 25V099000 · Feb 17, 2025

Apr 13, 202121V259000

Engine

A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

DetailsHide details for campaign 21V259000

What's wrong: 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.
Risk: 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.
Campaign: NHTSA 21V259000 · Apr 13, 2021

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Kia recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component238

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

238Complaints filed

12Involving a crash

3Involving a fire

5Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Engine	138	58	1	1	2
Engine and engine cooling	47	20	0	0	0
Unknown or other	26	11	2	2	1
Power train	26	11	1	0	0
Electrical system	15	6	1	0	2
Fuel/propulsion system	10	4	1	0	0
Service brakes	10	4	6	0	2
Steering	9	4	0	0	0
Exterior lighting	6	3	0	0	0
Visibility/wiper	6	3	0	0	0
Suspension	5	2	0	0	0
Forward collision avoidance	5	2	4	0	1
Air bags	4	2	4	1	3
Structure	3	1	0	0	0
Wheels	2	1	0	0	0

4 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Engine
“My kia's soul was part of a major safety recall for oil piston ring. The reason it's not showing on a recall list is because they claim to have fixed the issue. And it was removed.”
Filed 10/15/2026 · ODI 11771357
Engine
“The car was constantly burning through large amounts of oil. One night I was driving and the car started slowing down and lost power completely.”
Filed 10/11/2026 · ODI 11770443
Engine
“Burning oil and piston failure in my 2021 Kia soul. But it’s not the 1 percent under recall. More than just the 1 percent”
Filed 10/06/2026 · ODI 11769404

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2021 Kia Soul recall questions

How many recalls does the 2021 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Kia Soul. The most recent, 25V099000 (reported February 17, 2025), concerns engine and engine cooling. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What is the most common complaint about the 2021 Kia Soul?

Engine is the most-reported component, named in 138 complaints out of 238 filed with NHTSA (58%). Across all complaints, owners reported 12 crashs and 3 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2021 Kia Soul?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Kia recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Kia dealer.

Check a specific Kia by VIN

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