2020 Kia Soul — Known Issues & Recalls

Your engine is stalling while driving, and a dealer has confirmed there's an internal engine problem likely involving the piston rings. This defect causes oil loss and engine damage, which could stall your vehicle unexpectedly in traffic and create a safety hazard. Your check engine light came on before the stalling began. Fixing this will likely require engine repair or replacement to address the piston ring defect.

Your engine consumed all of its oil well before the scheduled oil change interval, leaving you with no oil in the engine. You took the car to the dealership, which submitted a claim under your extended warranty, but the claim was denied despite the problem being mechanical and supposedly covered.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. Additionally, the engine was leaking oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, the failure recurred. The contact's friend diagnosed the vehicle with a code reader and retrieved DTC: P0017, P0301, P0302, P0303, and P0304. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

I believe my car has been burning oil. The oil was empty at our last oil change only about 60,000 miles on car and we have had to keep adding oil to the car since then. I got extra concerned also when I saw alot of kia souls same year have gotten recalled for oil consumption, yet my vin number wasnt included... I have dropped a document in the comments with what the dealership said about it as well.

My car suddenly cut off while I'm driving putting me and others at risk in traffic and then my mechanic confirmed that its due to a defect in the engine with the piston. When I looked it up there is a recall for this on my type of car but not for my specific car VIN

My car is burning oil and showing signs of blow-by. I suspect it is due to the faulty piston rings that prompted your engine recall SC209. I brought the vehicle into the dealership in 2020 at 2,100 miles for the recall and they said it "passed." I recently became aware that this vehicle is burning oil at a significant rate, which is the date I reference below as "date this incident occurred." I opened a case with Kia Customer Care on 1/31/26. On 2/3/26 I began an oil consumption test at the local Kia dealership and I will return at or near the 1,000-mile mark to determine how much oil was burned and to see if the oil has turned black, signifying the blow-by. Attached is the Letter of Fact that I provided to the dealership when I took the vehicle in to initiate the oil consumption test, so they have that on record, as does Kia Customer Care. I may be in touch with you if I believe my vehicle has burned more than a quart of oil during the consumption test and they decline a next-step for addressing the defective pistons.

I purchased my 2020 Kia Soul GT-Line brand new in October 2019. The vehicle was later subject to a Kia oil piston ring recall, which was performed by an authorized Kia dealership in July 2021. Rick Case Kia - Duluth, Georgia Despite the recall being marked as completed, the engine has now suffered catastrophic failure. An authorized Kia dealership (Nalley Kia, Lithonia, GA) performed an inspection and documented the following diagnosis: “Engine has loss of compression in 3 of 4 cylinders due to piston ring failure.”  This confirms that the engine failed due to piston ring failure, the same defect addressed by the recall. The vehicle is currently inoperable and unsafe to drive due to engine failure and loss of power. Despite identifying the cause of failure, the servicing dealer and warranty administrator are refusing to process warranty coverage unless I personally pay $1,949.56 for a complete engine teardown. The cause of failure has already been documented by the dealership, making the teardown demand unnecessary and unreasonable. I do not consent to teardown at my expense. This appears to be a case of failed or ineffective recall remediation, resulting in engine failure and creating a serious safety risk due to loss of engine power. I am requesting NHTSA investigation into the effectiveness of Kia’s oil piston ring recall remedy and post-recall engine failures.

My 2020 Kia Soul has around 135,000 miles on it. When accelerating it sounded like a rod or piston was coming through the engine wall. Then began the chugging and loud knocking noises along with engine shutting off. Glad we were not on a railroad track or something like that. We could have easily been killed. No warning lights or sounds at all.

Oil is getting past the piston oil rings, causing oil to get into spark plugs/coil area of engine. Mechanic printed recall paperwork for this exact issue, but no recall found for my VIN. According to recall, this is a very dangerous issue that can stall car at any time or may be more likely to cause fires. I need this to be addressed in my car, please. Especially since it's a known issue.

The car is at the shop. My mechanic says engine needs to be replaced. It failed rapidly, in one evening, it started running ruff and check engine light came on. It stalled more than 5 times. The car stalled in an intersection and had to coast to a stop to restart. The next morning drove to O'reilly's to get the engine code. They identified the code as engine block. When leaving O'reilly's the car stalled in middle of the street and was almost hit by Semi tractor trailer that stopped barely in time. The mechanic reported finding metal shaving in the oil when diagnosing the problem. There was not any warning lights or issues before that evening outing. We would love to have the manufacturer address this issue. Engine failure at 52,800 miles on a 2020 KIA Soul needs to be addressed.

On August 3, 2025, I was in Erie PA - Presque Isle Park when the check engine light came on. It was a Sunday, so dealership was closed. I was over 3 1/2 hrs from home. Had no choice but to drive home and pray that I made it. On Monday, dealer said OK to drive if light is not flashing. If anything happens, have it towed here (that was comforting). First appt available was 8/26. On 8/26, I went to service area, they said several codes coming up relating to engine issues. They would have to keep the car - not safe to drive - they had no loaners - someone would drive me home. So when I was told OK to drive 3 weeks earlier - that was not true. I live on my own and what would I do if stranded somewhere. Dealer called me later and said that KIA would not honor my 10 yr/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. It was initially in husband's name but he passed away 4/29/2024. PA DMV required me to change the title to my name. The dealership also would not honor their Extended Warranty my husband had purchased for $2000. Meanwhile, the KIA was 5 yrs 8 mos old with only 28,400 miles. The codes that came up in the car were: P030400 Cylinder 4 Misfire P001400 Exhaust Cam Timing Over Advanced P000B00 Cam Position Slow Response Engine Timing Chain Assembly is Stretched - removed and replaced engine timing chain assembly Removed and replaced Exhaust Camshaft Removed and replaced Exhaust CVVT Removed and replaced Intake Camshaft Removed and replaced intake CVVT Removed and replaced the Timing Chain Tensioners I did not receive the KIA back from the dealership until DECEMBER 12, 2025 - YES they had my car from 8/26 to 12/12. Luckily, I had another car I could access since I had no loaner vehicle. After being strung along...making phone calls to the dealership weekly...contacting KIA corporate...and listening to excuse after excuse why they would not honor the powertrain warranty - I HAD IT WITH KIA. I went to a Subaru dealership and signed papers for new car on 12/17/2025.

This issue is a significant safety concern. The vehicle intermittently loses propulsion, causing a sudden forward lurch, and then abruptly regains power, pushing me back into the seat. This unexpected deceleration and surge can create a dangerous situation in traffic and may lead to an accident if it occurs while merging, crossing intersections, or driving at highway speeds. In addition, I am experiencing significant engine oil loss between regular oil changes. This week, just before my scheduled service, I found the engine to be approximately two quarts low. There were no warning lights indicating low oil or pressure. I only became aware of the issue after hearing noticeable engine ticking, at which point I immediately parked the vehicle and have not driven it since. I added two quarts of oil due to concern over potential engine damage caused by operating at a low oil level. I have contacted my dealership to report the oil loss and the engine noise, and I am currently waiting for a return call as I had to leave a message. This level of oil consumption is abnormal and concerning, especially combined with the lack of warning indicators. I believe this condition may pose a safety risk and could potentially lead to engine failure while driving. I have recorded video showing the amount of oil needed, the dipstick readings before and after adding oil, and the process of topping up the engine. I also have receipts for the oil I purchased. I can provide all documentation upon request. Based on my research, this appears to be a documented issue reported by multiple vehicle owners, and it is known to require corrective repair. I checked my VIN on the manufacturer’s recall website and confirmed that there are currently no open recalls associated with my vehicle. However, despite the absence of an official recall, the issues I am experiencing are safety‑related and require investigation and correction.

My 2020 Kia Soul is suffering catastrophic engine failure from a known safety recall defect involving the piston oil rings. I received a safety recall notice from Kia on July 5, 2021 warning that defective piston oil rings could cause engine damage and engine fires. I brought the vehicle to a Kia dealer for recall service on July 5, 2021 and again on February 1, 2022 for the same safety recall. Kia did not replace the engine and did not explain what repairs were performed. Now, despite having complied with both recall repairs, my engine is knocking, burning oil, losing power, and the check engine light is blinking. The vehicle has stalled in traffic, creating a serious safety risk. I am afraid to drive it due to the risk of engine failure and fire. The Kia dealer is now telling me the engine needs to be replaced at a cost of $5,000 or more, or I must replace the vehicle. They claim the recall was already performed and the vehicle is no longer under warranty, even though the same recalled defect has now caused engine failure. This appears to be a defective and ineffective recall remedy that did not correct the safety defect and has resulted in dangerous engine failure.

Mapping system will not update. Vehicle is dangerous.

Your 2020 Kia Soul is experiencing engine stalling and excessive oil consumption, which Kia has identified as a potential fire hazard under a safety recall. Your vehicle is currently disabled and unsafe to drive. Kia customer service refused to arrange or pay for a tow to an authorized dealership, despite the fire risk involved. The dealership will need to diagnose the engine problem and perform the recall repair, which likely involves inspecting and servicing the engine and oil system.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The automatic start warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. Additionally, the error message indicated that the automatic start feature was disabled; however, the contact stated that the automatic start feature was enabled. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. After several attempts, the vehicle started. The contact disabled the automatic start feature. The contact stated that while the vehicle was decelerating, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, a diagnostic test was not performed. The contact stated that the diagnostic test was incomplete. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,924.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at undisclosed speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. There was an abnormal, fluttery sound detected before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the crankshaft and camshaft. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 135,864.

Immediately after purchase, the Passenger Airbag warning light illuminated. An authorized Kia dealer confirmed that the airbag system is defective and requires repair under warranty. Despite this confirmation, more than five (5) months have passed without repair, citing parts unavailability. I am operating a vehicle with a known airbag malfunction. This defect involves a federally regulated safety system and poses a safety risk.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle indicated that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that the dipstick was dry. The contact was concerned because oil had been added to the vehicle four months earlier, in October 2025. The dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The oil level was topped off. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,637.

The problems with the KIa Sol began with the "check engine" light continuously coming on in January of 2025. Took it to the dealership twice and numerous repairs were made and the vehicle continues to malfunction. It sputters and has created a dangerous condition to drive. For example, my 21 year old son was on the freeway and the car started sputtering. Thank God that the truck behind him moved lanes when he saw the car was struggling or it could have ended tragically. That was incredibly scary. I took it to the dealership again. They kept for two weeks trying to find the root of the problem, I spent $4,000 to "fix" it. When I drove it around town it did the same again, which put my brother and I in danger. The dealership finally said that the car needs a catalytic converter, which I was quoted as costing approximately $5000 dollars. I have spent a lot of money to try to fix this car and have been in two dangerous situations because the problem was not located. I have been trying in good faith to work with the dealership and KIA corporate to put a new catalytic converter by requesting a good will gesture.