Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2016 Kia Soul has 823 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most for the engine at 561. Its fuel economy is 26 to 27 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,030 to $12,490 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. The car has 5 recall campaigns that may apply, covering electrical system, transmission and drivetrain, engine, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
26–27 mpgcombined; city 24, highway 30–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,030–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $10,750–$11,160 at local prices; every version of this model year, electric versions apart; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Electric versions: $4,390 at U.S. average electricity prices
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
5over its history, 1 replaced by a later one; check a VIN for open onesRepaired under campaign 20V389000? NHTSA's record says it still needs the newer remedy of campaign 23V724000.
Owner complaints
823filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Trims
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2016 Soul. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 823 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Soul. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
561
4
29
2
Unknown or other
125
3
7
3
Engine and engine cooling
106
1
2
2
Fuel/propulsion system
84
0
5
1
Power train
65
1
2
0
Electrical system
57
1
7
5
Vehicle speed control
33
2
1
3
Steering
30
2
0
2
Service brakes
19
2
1
4
Exterior lighting
18
0
0
0
Structure
18
2
4
1
Air bags
17
13
0
10
12 more parts
Suspension
8
2
0
0
Visibility/wiper
8
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
1
0
0
Seat belts
4
0
0
0
Seats
4
0
1
4
Firerelated
3
0
3
1
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Interior lighting
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Soul over its history, 1 replaced by a later one. A replaced campaign is listed at the end as history, not as a separate repair. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Repaired under campaign 20V389000? NHTSA's record says it still needs the newer remedy of campaign 23V724000. A repair under the earlier campaign doesn't complete the later one: check the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Electrical system: software; Power train: automatic transmission
Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall number 20V-389. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-389 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.
Risk: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs, the battery will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC267.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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 may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
Risk: If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
Replaced by campaign 23V724000, as NHTSA's record says: history, not a separate repair. Cars repaired under this campaign still need the newer remedy.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Kia Soul Electric Vehicle (EV) vehicles. The parking mechanism may become damaged if the driver moves the gear shift lever into Park 'P' before the vehicle comes to a complete stop. If the parking mechanism is damaged, unintended vehicle movement may occur when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC191.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 179 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Soul, the latest on Aug 28, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (82), engine and engine cooling (51), equipment (36), engine (13), service brakes (11).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Soul.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small station wagons. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 31 / 27
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 30 / 26
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
24 / 30 / 26
Soul ECO dynamics Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 30 / 26
Soul Electric Front-Wheel Drive
81 kW AC PMSM
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 93 miles of range
120 / 92 / 105 MPGe
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data