2020 KIA Soul engine problems

ENGINE

Making a left turn car stalled in middle of turn lane.

NHTSA complaint #11757351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine piston recall defect. Car has been at the dealership 12 days today and has been diagnosed and has been submitted to a Kia corporate case for repair free of charge. Car had no warning lights on and basically blew up on me driving home from my overnight work shift Thursday into Friday, July 31 morning. Every day they tell me they will give me a loaner and every day they lie. I have called until I’m blue in the face and no action has happened. I’m making a report because I’m about to lose my home and the car in the shop being repaired both because I’m stranded at my house as a single woman with a child with no alternate transportation. It is at the Kia dealership in Southhaven Mississippi 745 East Goodman Rd. I maintained this vehicle and paid every single note on time and did nothing wrong. I’m gonna lose everything because of this recall repair needed that I never knew anything about. It wasn’t on my auto report in 2024 when I bought the car somehow or I probably wouldn’t have bought it with any engine issues but I was unaware. The car literally never had any lights on or issues until the morning when it blew up. During this time I thought I was supposed to get alternate transportation and that hasn’t happened. Because I invested in Kia I’m the only one suffering right now about to lose my home and job because they have my car and won’t give me alternate transportation. A free repair is no good if you’re going to lose everything you work hard to maintain while it’s being repaired. I will never buy Kia again and I will never tell anyone else to buy. Absolute horrible experience so far. I’ve already paid out-of-pocket for a tow which can’t be reimbursed until 6 to 8 weeks after the repair is complete from what I read. If I end up homeless over this 6 year old car I thought would last me, I’m not gonna want the car anymore.

NHTSA complaint #11756769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and two hubcaps were damaged, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle arrived at the residence, there was no oil inside the engine. The contact added oil to the engine, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that an oil change was performed at approximately 54,000. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,375.

NHTSA complaint #11756018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the engine, catalytic converter, the two Oxygen sensors, radiator hoses, heater coil hoses, motor mounts, and the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the engine was replaced in 2022 under an unknown recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the mileage on the vehicle was 108,000, at the time that the recall repair was completed. The contact was informed that the warranty only covered the replacement of the engine. The contact stated that the failure was a consequential failure associated with the engine failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA complaint #11755047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the engine, catalytic converter, the two Oxygen sensors, radiator hoses, heater coil hoses, motor mounts, and the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the engine was replaced in 2022 under an unknown recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the mileage on the vehicle was 108,000, at the time that the recall repair was completed. The contact was informed that the warranty only covered the replacement of the engine. The contact stated that the failure was a consequential failure associated with the engine failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA complaint #11755047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The engine shut down unexpectedly while driving. The dealer confirmed it was due to internal oil consumption. There's a known history of engine failure in these vehicles due to manufacturing defect, including shutting down while driving, noise coming from the engine and even a risk of fire. The warning oil lamp never came up, there was no oil leak spots in my driveway. My safety definitely was at risk, and Kia was sued and lost for these same reason before. I towed the car to Kia City in South Orlando but they wanted to charge me $7500 for fixing the engine under the excuse that the warranty had expired. This is not true, since this vehicle was purchased as a certified pre-owned vehicle with only 3000 miles and still is under the ten year powertrain warranty. I towed the vehicle back home after almost a week in the dealer.

NHTSA complaint #11754589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning while releasing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle restarted after each failure. The first dealer diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P04100 (Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit); however, the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Hendrick Kia of Concord (7550 Hendrick Auto Plaza NW, Concord, NC 28027); and the technicians informed the contact that the vehicle was not properly repaired. The vehicle was returned to the first dealer, and the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The dealer dismissed the contact’s concern that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was informed that adding one quart of oil per 1,000 miles was within normal operation of the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to Kia recall SC199. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

NHTSA complaint #11751776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 Kia certified mechanic and mentioned this is a well known concern. The only indicator that there was an issue was an engine light which gave a code representative of a faulty senor, not a major engine concern.

NHTSA complaint #11750779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 informed that my engine was burning oil. We had no prior knowledge that there was a problem. The service guy we were working with admitted that this issue was due to the fault engines from Kia and submitted a claim to get my engine replaced that was denied due to “low oil” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11750483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 underneath had to constantly place oil in the car Kia Never contacted me about a recall the dealerships never communicated recalls on the engine and oil burning they placed me and my grandchildren at risk and say I have to pay $110000 for a new engine. A belt. Cadillac converter and I simply do not have that. School starts in a week 1/2 and I cannot get four children to school or make it to my Dr appointments tremendous hardship and safety concern because a mechanic told me the shutting down is a mechanism to keep the engine from catching on fire and exploding. I have been told by several Kia owners they had the same issue. Walmart mgr told me it is a manufacturer issue I should not have to pay for repairs.

NHTSA complaint #11750558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 was the July 4th weekend) they sent me a diagnostic of engine failure due to internal combustion and want to charge me $7500. Offered another alternative for about $1500 but acknowledged that would likely not solve the issue. I declined and informed them that I was told about the engine recall, that my vehicle year and model (2020 Kia Soul) was included in the lawsuit that caused the recall, and that I was never told by the dealer or Kia about the engine recall and about a particular software upgrade that was supposed to alert me about the possibility of engine failure due to a Kia manufacturing defect. They informed me that my vehicle was out of warranty and that my VIN number was not in a particular list of vehicles. I don't understand how is it possible, since I purchased that vehicle in the same dealer with about 3000 miles at the time of purchase and the vehicle has been properly maintained in the same dealer, as the maintenance records show, including a good maintenance badge from CarFox. I believe this is extremely unfair, how I am supposed to accept that I have a useless vehicle when I did everything right and my car obviously should've been included in that engine recall. How is it that I received letters from Kia about other recalls but not about that engine recall? Previous to the engine stalling and noise incident the oil warming light never turned red. I believe that my vehicle should be included in the list of vehicles approved for the engine recall, based on this statement and the facts.

NHTSA complaint #11749416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I own a 2020 Kia Soul that received Recall SC209. Kia performed the recall remedy and considered the recall complete. Before the engine failed, the vehicle had a documented history of excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was previously diagnosed by an independent third-party mechanic shop for excessive oil consumption, and I repeatedly had to add significant amounts of engine oil between oil changes to keep the engine operating. Despite this known condition, the excessive oil consumption continued after the recall was completed. Eventually, the engine suffered a connecting rod bearing failure and seized. The Kia dealership has denied warranty or recall coverage solely because Recall SC209 had already been completed. Kia Consumer Affairs also denied assistance and stated that the engine failure is not covered because the recall was previously performed. My concern is that the symptoms leading up to the engine failure—including excessive oil consumption followed by connecting rod bearing failure—are consistent with the defect addressed by Recall SC209. In my opinion, the recall remedy did not correct the underlying defect on my vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the SC209 recall remedy is effective for vehicles that continue to experience excessive oil consumption and subsequently suffer catastrophic engine failure after the recall has been completed. I have maintenance records, documentation from the independent mechanic shop showing excessive oil consumption, proof that Recall SC209 was completed, and documentation of the engine failure and Kia's denial of coverage.

NHTSA complaint #11747963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 transmission to go out immediately. Kia also replaced the transmission. After this was done, my husband drove the car back to our house in [XXX]. It sat in our garage from June until two weeks ago. My brother has been driving the car between [XXX], and [XXX]. Two nights ago, as he was leaving work, the vehicle started, ran for 30 seconds and made a rumbling sound before breaking down. He restarted the car and started driving it, but the car quickly overheated. As an emergency measure, he drove it to a service shop in [XXX], where it was discovered that the AC compressor and serpentine belt had come loose. This was because the bolts securing the engine were overtightened during the engine replacement in [XXX], and two of them had broken off while the vehicle was in motion, thus allowing the compressor and serpentine belt to loosen. We had the car towed to Cavenaugh Kia in [XXX]. They will not perform the work and say that the vehicle should go back to the dealership in [XXX]. The Alabama dealership says it is not their problem. Kia Customer Affairs also says that because the work was performed just over a year ago, it is no longer covered under warranty. Furthermore, they will not pay to have it towed. I called Gossett Kia in [XXX], where the car was purchased, and they are not sure they will be able to do the work either. I feel so stuck and without recourse in this situation. We are stuck with a [XXX]old car that is undrivable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11748034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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, but since I am second owner of this vehicle I don’t qualify for the hundred thousand miles 10 year warranty. My vehicle has 88,700 miles and I’m sure what not to do next.

NHTSA complaint #11745470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving when the vehicle stalled while slowing down. It stalled several more times at a stop light, and then when slowing down or accelerating slowly. I then noticed the engine started making a noise. I have parked it and not been able to drive it since. No safety indicators popped up during the stalling. When the engine started making a noice the check engine light then turned on. The car has only 65958miles on it. I believe it should be apart of the SC209 recall list but it is not.

NHTSA complaint #11741921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

There was a recall-SC209A for a faulty piston ring. This vehicle “passed” prior to my purchase. I was unaware that my vehicle was part of the recall- when the VIN is entered in the NTSB website, no active recalls show. Starting in 10/24, the vehicle began having problems accelerating, and when I brought to my local mechanic it was found to be nearly empty on oil despite a recent oil change. I have since experienced continuing issues with low oil and oil consumption. The latest incident was in XXX on a trip to [XXX] . The car seized in the highway, and was brought to a local Kia dealer. They diagnosed a bad transmission, and it was replaced. Despite this, the car has continued to burn oil. I have brought the car to my local Kia in Schaumburg where it was purchased. It was today that I found out it was part of the recall. I asked for an oil consumption test, and I was told this would be at a $200 cost to me. I am worried for my families safety taking this car on the road- the oil light doesn’t come on when it is low. Kia hasn’t offered to retest the car, and I feel at significant risk continuing to drive it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11741488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The contact stated that he was a mechanic, and the contact had retrieved a diagnostic code indicating a vibration in the pistons. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 112,704.

NHTSA complaint #11741590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My 2020 Kia Soul had its engine replaced under safety recall SC209 (NHTSA Campaign 21V259). At 136,202 miles, this replacement engine suffered a secondary catastrophic failure, dropping heavy metal shavings into the oil lubrication system and causing the engine to stall. Kia of Orange Park (Repair Order 183972) diagnosed the failure but refused to honor the 15-year/150,000-mile Class Action Engine Settlement extension, forcing me to pay out-of-pocket at an independent shop. The manufacturer's safety recall remedy has failed."

NHTSA complaint #11741106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O’Reilly’s where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle as not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 109,256.

NHTSA complaint #11740306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the lack of specialize mechanical technician. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint #11739224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I own a 2020 Kia Soul that, according to Kia Customer Care, had the SC209 engine recall repair completed in 2021 at approximately 28,000 miles under a previous owner. I have the exact repair date written down and can provide it if needed. On May 12, 2026, while driving, the vehicle suddenly stalled and shut off, switching into accessory mode without warning. I was able to restart it afterward. Today, approximately 20 minutes ago, the same issue occurred again while driving — the engine stalled unexpectedly and switched into accessory mode. After the first incident on May 12, I checked the oil level and it appeared full. Today, after the second stall, I checked the oil again and found it significantly low, around 1–2 quarts remaining. The vehicle required approximately 3 quarts of oil to return to full. I want this formally documented because I am concerned there may be an ongoing engine issue related to excessive oil consumption and/or engine failure despite the prior SC209 recall repair having been completed. I have only had the car 27 days.

NHTSA complaint #11737909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This vehicle burns over 2 quarts of oil between oil changes. Had 3 oil consumption tests. Kia states that this motor is supposed to burn that much oil. My catalytic converter is now going bad due to the amount of burnt oil clogging it. Why have these engines not been recalled?

NHTSA complaint #11737951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Car just starting shutting off only will drive a certain amount of time then turns off again

NHTSA complaint #11737244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The engine consumes oil and requires repeat oil changes or refilling the engine oil prior to expected or recommended service date. This causes a severe emissions issue.

NHTSA complaint #11736116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under Kia Recall: SC209; however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact became aware of a n excessive oil consumption. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that oil was being added approximately every 2 days. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA complaint #11733534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine shut off while making a turn. Took car to mechanic and he stated that the car did not display any error messages. The car also over heated while driving in freeway.

NHTSA complaint #11732298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My Car would shut off in the middle of the road after I stopped to make a turn or even stop at a stop light. Also the engine is burning oil. Mechanic says the the engine needs to be replace. Something with the oil piston and the exhaust is burning oil. I am not sure

NHTSA complaint #11731747 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the engine started knocking on the passenger side of the vehicle underneath the hood. The contact accelerated to 45 MPH and continued driving. After refueling, while continuing to drive at 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost engine power, and the vehicle started coasting. The vehicle was stopped, restarted, and the contact continued driving. A short while after restarting the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. The contact stopped the vehicle, waited, then restarted the vehicle a second time. The vehicle was driven to the destination. An image of an engine was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle continued to make a knocking sound. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine was failing and needed to be replaced. The certified mechanic informed the contact about NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); and associated the vehicle with the recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis; however, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer declined to provide the engine replacement under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA complaint #11729854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle was driving sluggishly, and the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated before stalling. The vehicle was towed to the local Service Center and was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and metal shavings were found inside the engine oil, and the camshaft and the timing were not operating properly. The cause of the failure was not yet determined by the dealer. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (ENGINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA complaint #11729440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The engine burnt through all the oil in it, many miles before an oil change was needed for it.I have taken it to the dealership and the dealership submitted an extended warranty claim for it and despite the fact that the issue is mechanical and covered by the extented owarranty, the claim is being denied.

NHTSA complaint #11726782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.