NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia Soul. The newest, from February 17, 2025, covers the engine and engine cooling. Not every Kia Soul of this year is affected: check your VIN to see whether yours is, and whether the free repair has been done.
2 recalls, newest first
RecallFebruary 17, 2025
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.
Fix: 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.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Enter your 17-character VIN on NHTSA's site to see which of these recalls apply to your car and whether they've been repaired. Repairs are free at any Kia dealer.
Recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall database, with the list of models updated October 7, 2026. A recall applies to some vehicles of a model year, not always all of them: your VIN tells you whether yours is included and if the free repair has been done.