I am filing a formal safety compliance complaint regarding my 2016 Kia Soul (1.6L GDI engine) and a structural failure of the exhaust/catalytic converter system related to NHTSA Campaign 19V120000 / Recall SC176. The vehicle has thrown a persistent P0420 Check Engine Code (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold) and is experiencing unsafe driving conditions, including severe power loss and sudden engine stalling in active traffic. Authorized franchise Valley Kia of Modesto has refused to honor the safety recall framework. They have denied federal compliance by refusing to perform the mandated exhaust inspections, engine combustion tests, or hardware replacement under the open recall guidelines, falsely claiming prior software updates absolve them of replacing the failed physical hardware. Corporate Case #26299283 was opened on August 19, 2026, but the franchise continues to operate in complete non-compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, leaving an active fire and stalling hazard unresolved.
NHTSA complaint #11758898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2016 Kia Soul with the 1.6L GDI engine lost power. On 08/21/2026 at 107,547 miles I took it to Grand Kia, 1950 West 104th Avenue, Thornton, Colorado, repair order 137483, service advisor Patricia Palmas. The dealer performed a cylinder compression test and a leak-down test and documented on the repair order that the engine has scored cylinder walls, with cylinder number 3 identified as the affected cylinder. They also performed a rod bearing clearance test, which passed. They pulled down the exhaust to inspect the downstream catalytic converter and recorded that inspection as okay. They noted new spark plugs with no signs of fouling. Despite recording scored cylinder walls on their own repair order, the dealer told me the vehicle was fine and took no further action. No diagnostic trouble code was present. I was not given a written reason for the refusal, no technical assistance or Techline case was opened that I am aware of, and no engine inspection under any campaign was offered. I was charged nothing and sent away with a vehicle that has documented internal engine damage. This vehicle is within the population covered by Kia safety recall SC176 (NHTSA campaign 19V120), which covers all 2012-2016 model year Souls with the 1.6L GDI engine. That recall describes a failure mode in which the catalytic converter is damaged by overheating, substrate particles enter the engine combustion chamber, and continuous abnormal combustion results in damage to one or more of the engine's pistons, which can cause connecting rod breakage and puncture the engine block, allowing oil to contact hot exhaust surfaces. The stated remedy includes upgrading the ECU logic, replacing the catalytic converter if damaged, and replacing the engine depending on the extent of damage. Scored cylinder walls on a single cylinder is consistent with the damage mechanism that recall describes. The recall states there are no restrictions on owner eligibility. Nevertheless, no evaluation under SC176
NHTSA complaint #11758578 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the high oil consumption might cause a fire in the engine bay due to a failure with the piston rings. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as the possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the vehicle did not experience a specific failure, even though all the other issues the vehicle had experienced were listed in the recall notice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 215,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Multiple times with 6 months my check engine light comes on but no code is detected. However, when tested it tells me to look out for code P0420. The issues I have encountered: - High RPM of 2,000 when vehicle is started - Check engine light with no code. Light comes and goes on it own - Car jolts and vibrates high while idling - Car eats oil like no tomorrow. Having to do an oil change every 3,000 miles
NHTSA complaint #11757104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but continued to stall each time the vehicle was stopped. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone for an unknown diagnostic test and then towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was also towed to an independent mechanic and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, and it was determined that there was sludge inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 block had been replaced due to recall and excessive oil consumption, but vehicle is doing this again. Local dealership refuses to give appt for oil check and is sending us 55 miles away. We’re told it will be about 1k to test it for fuel combustion and oil change before they can even test it. Replacement engine block failed to fix the issue and local Kia is not helpful.
NHTSA complaint #11756529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's grandmother owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his grandmother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that due to the failure and the outside temperatures, his grandmother was stuck inside the inoperable vehicle. The contact's grandmother sustained a heat stroke while waiting for assistance. The contact's grandmother was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where DTC: P0420 and P0302 were retrieved. The contact was informed that the codes indicated an engine misfire. While driving to Firestone, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); in 2021. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 59,242.
NHTSA complaint #11756561 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car has very high oil consumption. I regularly take it for oil changes and have never missed an oil change. In between oil changes I need to put anywhere between 2-3 bottles of oil in. I have taken it in to the dealership for a couple of oil consumption tests that both failed step one so they kept it overnight and did some kind of flush or cleanse and then it passed step 2 both times. The car is good for a little while and then it starts consuming alot of oil again. Due to the high consumption of oil my catalytic converter is going bad and the engine seems very sluggish at times. I do have a yellow check engine light constantly on and the code is for the catalytic converter due to high oil comsumption. The dealership told me they can't do anything about the warning light until it starts to flash yellow instead of being solid yellow. I brought it into the dealership for that and they acknowleded my year make and model are known for excessive oil consumption which can cause the catalytic converter to go bad. They won't do anything about it because it passes step 2 of oil consumption test. but they keep giving me a hard time about just permanently fixing it under the warranty since it passes step 2 even though I am back months later for the same problem. I feel they are trying to run my warranty out so they won't have to fix it. My car now won't pass an emissions test because of the catalytic converter.
NHTSA complaint #11756115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2021 KIA Soul has a recall order for P1327 code which is the knocking noise from the piston ring. The KIA dealership in Idaho Falls is denying the recall order, claiming that it has to be from the upper chamber, not the lower chamber. Which is not stated in the recall letter. They have done everything to avoid this recall. I have evidence that they know the engine have all the symptoms of the piston ring, but trying to avoid everything to replace the engine. They even deny giving the part name that is causing the knocking noise and not giving me the diagnostic report. Even charging $6,000 for the engine replacement.
NHTSA complaint #11756376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2021 Kia Soul has stalled unexpectedly while being driven on multiple occasions. When the vehicle stalls, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses propulsion, creating a risk of a collision, particularly if it occurs in moving traffic. There have been no warning lights or messages before the vehicle stalls or when the stalling occurs. The vehicle has severe engine oil consumption. After approximately 3,000 miles, the oil level can become so low that no oil is visible on the dipstick. I do not know whether the excessive oil consumption is causing the stalling, but I believe that to be the reason. I previously brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership while it was under warranty because of the oil-consumption problem. The dealership told me that the vehicle was probably leaking oil, that a part needed to be ordered, and that they would contact me when the part arrived. They never contacted me, and the problem was not resolved. I have since reported the repeated stalling and excessive oil consumption to Kia corporate. Kia instructed me to return the vehicle to the dealership for additional testing. I told Kia that I do not feel safe driving the vehicle approximately 40 minutes to the dealership because it has repeatedly stalled while being driven. I asked whether Kia would tow the vehicle, but Kia would not commit to providing a tow. I also asked Kia to put in writing its instruction that I should drive the vehicle to the dealership despite the reported stalling, and Kia declined. The vehicle remains available for inspection. The cause of the repeated stalling is most likely due to burning of excessive oil. I am concerned about an unexpected loss of propulsion occurring again while the vehicle is in traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11756001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a used 2025 Kia Soul with approximately 12,930 miles on the odometer in July 2026. Prior to Friday, August 1, 2026, I had not experienced any warning lights, warning messages, drivability issues, or other symptoms. The vehicle appeared to operate normally. On August 1, 2026, as I pulled out of the parking lot, the car surged or lurched forward while pushing on the gas. I pulled over, and the engine RPM still would increase on its own while the vehicle was in park, and and while stopped with the brake pedal applied. On one occasion in traffic a week before, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. At the time I thought I did something wrong and didn't initially think it was a defect. This has created a safety concern because the vehicle appears to accelerate or push forward without me doing anything. The condition raised concerns about maintaining control of the vehicle in traffic and while stopped behind other vehicles. The vehicle was inspected by a Kia dealership. I was informed that a technician performed a road test and was able to reproduce the concern I reported. The dealership initially identified contaminated A/C refrigerant and recommended evacuation and recharge of the A/C system. After further diagnosis, I was informed that the A/C compressor may have internal damage and may require replacement. The root cause of the unexpected revving, stalling, and lurching has not been conclusively determined. I have received conflicting information regarding whether the A/C system is responsible for the condition and whether the vehicle is safe to drive. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Kia Customer Care reviewed the situation and recommended that the vehicle be evaluated by a different Kia dealership for a second opinion. No police report or insurance investigation has been conducted regarding this issue. Someone advised me to file this report, saying that an AC compressor can't make a car engine lurch.
NHTSA complaint #11755282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2016 Kia Soul is a 2.0L Gasoline Direct Injection engine. 1 prior recall for Kia Souls have occurred, which is seemingly identical to my issue. Recall SC176 addresses Kia Souls with the 1.6L engine, and it just so happens my issue is the same. Kia also issued a response to knock issues with the Soul 2.0L MPI engine, the KSDS Campaign, where Kia rolled out the Knock Sensor Detection System software update (Campaign SC200) to monitor for connecting rod bearing. I have the GDI so this was not available to me. The catalytic converter is damaged from piston corrosion. The engine hasn't been properly powering the car to allow it to accelerate, nearing stall from stop, and when trying to upshifting. Power loss combines with a regular whistling noise, and occasional knock noise. Kia has been having similar issues with their varying Soul models. They have attempted to limit the scope of what fixes they'll provide, but clearly the scope was not broad enough. The first symptom of this issue occurred several months ago, at which point I made an appointment asap with Kia, the soonest of which was almost 2 months later.
NHTSA complaint #11755019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be added to the engine after driving every 30 miles. Additionally, on one occasion while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled and failed to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,261.
NHTSA complaint #11755064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dealer refusing to honor open recall remedy for SC200 / NHTSA 20V750000 on 2015 Kia Soul VIN [XXX], approx 100k miles. Recall shows "no unrepaired recall found" on NHTSA VIN lookup, but KSDS update and engine bearing test were never performed. Kia of Cheyenne states: 1) must pay for recall because update not done, 2) must pay for unrelated repairs first, 3) must provide all oil receipts, 4) will not perform free remedy. Second dealer Fort Collins Kia service phone rings no voicemail. Request NHTSA reopen recall and enforce free remedy per 49 USC 30120. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11754821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.