Model year record

2016 Kia Soul Ev recalls & problems

The 2016 Kia Soul Ev has 4 safety recalls and 7 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train (3 complaints).

Recalls4safety recalls

Complaints7filed by owners

Crashes · fires1 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Power trainOct 26, 2023

Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)

Recall 23V7240006,262 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Components: Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl); Electrical system › Software

Electrical systemMar 29, 2023

Propulsion system › Traction battery

Recall 23V2180002,689 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Power trainJul 2, 2020

Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)

Recall 20V3890003,714 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Components: Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl); Electrical system › Software

SteeringSep 29, 2017

Steering

Recall 17V608000342,381 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2016 Kia Soul Ev SUV FWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Typical mileage*
Power train	3	1	20,781 mi
Unknown or other	2	0	—
Visibility/wiper	1	0	—
Service brakes	1	0	—
Electrical system12v/24v/48v battery	1	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was on the charging port, the vehicle failed to hold the charge and only displayed an 83 percent charge. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was fully charged, the energy percentage display rejected and while driving after a full charge, the percentage displayed at 70 percent after driving approximately 25 MPH. An unknown warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact then stated that while driving at undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The contact was concerned for his safety while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to…
Sep 18, 2023 · 129,000 miles
Service brakes
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED INTO PARK AFTER DRIVING. THE CAR INDICATED IT WAS IN PARK, HOWEVER THE CAR ROLLED - IT WAS NOT IN PARK. APPLYING THE FOOT BRAKE WORKED. APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE WORKED, HOWEVER THE GEARSHIFT DID NOT ENGAGE PARK PROPERLY.
Jun 11, 2019 · 25,532 miles
Unknown or other
THE HORN AND ALARM DONT WORK EVEN WHEN I SET THE ALARM THERES NO BEEP JUST FLASHES AND IVE PRESS THE HORN MULTIPLE TIMES AND IT DOESN'T MAKE A SOUND THIS OCCUR DURING DRIVING AND AFTER WHILE I WAS STATIONARY JUST TO CHECK
Nov 8, 2018 · 15,181 miles
Power trainCrash
BACKED UP DRIVEWAY TO PARK CAR IN GARAGE. PUT CAR IN "PARK". GOT OUT TO CLEAR PARKING SPACE IN GARAGE. TURNED AROUND TO SEE CAR ROLLING DOWN DRIVEWAY INTO WALL- WHILE IN "PARK".
Sep 10, 2018 · 20,781 miles
Visibility/wiper
SUNROOF COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE.
Oct 12, 2017 · 8,731 miles
Power train
AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNING IT OFF, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING. I STOPPED THE CAR, TURN IT ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE, THEN TURNED IT BACK OFF. IT ROLLED AGAIN (IN A RELATIVELY FLAT PARKING STRUCTURE.) I NORMALLY SET THE PARKING BREAK SO I'M NOT SURE WHEN THIS MAY HAVE STARTED.
Jul 15, 2017 · 14,500 miles
Unknown or other
CHARGING PORT CAN AUTOMATICALLY LOCK THE CHARGING CONNECTOR, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE WITHOUT DAMAGE OCCURRING, IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY. OF COURSE, THIS ONLY OCCURS WITH THE VEHICLE STATIONARY AT A CHARGING STATION. (I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL ON ELECTRIC CARS BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM REMOVING IT WHILE THE CAR IS CHARGING SO THEY CAN CHARGE THEIR CAR.) I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ONE MONTH AND IT HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES. BOTH TIMES, "ONE" OF THE MANY THINGS I TRIED UNLOCKED IT BUT I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT RESOLVED IT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE ANYTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TELLING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCKING THE CHARGING PORT AND ONLINE SEARCH HAS ONLY…
Mar 16, 2017 · 1,250 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Vehicle RollawayClosedLed to recall 23V724
On July 2, 2020, Kia America Inc. (Kia) filed safety recall 20V-389 for model year (MY) 2015-2016 Kia Soul EV vehicles. This recall was in response to allegations of unintended vehicle movement while in Park and provided updated electronic control unit software for the electronic parking brake logic as the remedy. The updated logic, which was included during production for MY 2017-2019 Kia Soul EV vehicles, automatically activates the electronic parking brake when the vehicle is powered off while the gear shift lever is in the Park position. On September 10, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ23-005) to investigate allegations of unintended vehicle movement while in Park in MY 2015-2019 Kia Soul EV vehicles. At the time that the investigation was opened, ODI had received 3 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and additional Early Warning Reporting…
RQ23005 · opened Sep 10, 2023 · closed Jan 16, 2024
Pedestrian alert soundsClosedLed to recall 22V063000
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review…
DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023