2022 Kia Soul problems, complaints & recalls

2022 Kia Soul recalls (1)

• Recall 25V099000Feb 17, 2025137,256 vehicles
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

  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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• AQ25001Opened Aug 6, 2025Closed Dec 18, 2025

  Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness

  On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia reques…

Recent 2022 Kia Soul complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026KYOther / Unknown

   Jake Sweeney Kia opened a repair order for Safety Recall SC336 on my 2022 Kia Soul at 8:00 AM on Wednesday. At 3:10 PM the exact same day, they finalized the ticket with a 'PASS' result and issued an invoice. The manufacturer’s official Technical Service Bulletin for Campaign SC336 explicitly mandates a 24-hour overnight cold engine soak before the PNSS acoustic test can be executed. The dealership completely bypassed this federal safety mandate, testing a warm engine in…

   NHTSA complaint #11769794 · source
2. Filed Oct 7, 2026TXEngine

   Engine oil light came on and went to take in to get an oil change though it had 1000 miles or so to go. Had oil change but light did not go out, and service said to get it diagnosed at mechanic. Made an appointment and car then driven by my daughter stalled when entering the freeway. The car started and I had her drive it home. I tried it the next day and had no problem other than lack of power. At the car appointment, stated that it looked like a National Safety Recall…

   NHTSA complaint #11769676 · source
3. Filed Oct 2, 2026TNEngine

   The oil consumption is outrageous. I have to check the oil every week. I keep taking it to WYATT JOHNSON KIA but they refuse to report the oil consumption problem to KIA

   NHTSA complaint #11768644 · source
4. Filed Jul 17, 2026101,000 miTNEngine

   The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH uphill, there was an abnormal knocking sound from the rod bearings inside the engine. The contact stated that the rod bearings had gone through the engine block, and there was black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle became inoperable after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The diagnostic test and repair were pending. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11751021 · source
5. Filed Jun 25, 2026NCOther / Unknown

   Backup camera intermittently glitches and cuts to a black screen. Display will also occasionally appear darker than normal. Concern began suddenly with no known cause. It first occurred after vehicle was parked for 10-11 hours.

   NHTSA complaint #11746542 · source
6. Filed Jun 14, 2026LAElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   • a theft attempt caused by the widely reported Kia software vulnerability (documented in my police report) • a display failure that Kia refused to repair • a recall that Kia refused to perform because the display was broken • repeated defects lighting, battery warning indicators never come on when the oil is beinf consumed • and now a complete engine failure on a 2022 vehicle

   NHTSA complaint #11743951 · source
7. Filed May 10, 2026ILElectrical SystemEngine

   03/17/26: Kia Soul 2022 was brought into the dealership to have the safety recall (NHTSA: 25V099; Kia: SC336) addressed. There is a description of the service that says, “Piston Oil Ring.” Dealership stated everything was "good to go" upon completion of this service. Per dealership document, causal part says “Ring Set-Piston”, Issue number SC336. Issue Type: Safety Recall; Description: Piston Oil Ring. 04/20/2026: While driving, the engine light turned red/blinking. The car…

   NHTSA complaint #11736890 · source
8. Filed May 8, 2026GAElectrical SystemEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   Weeks before the vehicle completely shut down, my car began stalling and shutting off in traffic without warning while driving. I was usually able to turn the vehicle off and restart it, and it would come back on temporarily. At red lights and stop signs, the vehicle would power down, stall, jerk forward, and then begin moving again when I pressed the accelerator. On 05/01/2026, while stopped at a red light on my way to get gas, I noticed the vehicle vibrating unusually. I…

   NHTSA complaint #11736581 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology