2020 Kia Soul problems

“Since XXX our Kia Soul has been stalling and burning oil. It stalled out on a city street near me and had to be towed to the kia dealership where it is serviced. They said it was out of oil. We just had it serviced in XXX with complete oil and filter done. On research, we have learned this car burns oil and had a piston defect recall. At the time it was inspected they found no piston defect yet (NHTSA Recall 21V259000) They did the initial (PNSS) piston ring noise sensing system or vibration test which was negative AT THAT TIME. I would like to request a Techline case to authorize an oil consumption test TSB SST082 since the car is stalling and burning oil and needs a quart every week or less. It is our only car and we need it for work and activities of daily living. We have had it serviced religiously at the dealer since purchase and can document each and every service done, the laste one in XXX, where they did 4,000 in minor repairs and said we were driving it too much that;s why it ran out of oil. It puts my family's safety at risk. Please authorize an oil consumption test on our vehicle. Please note, we had our oil changed in XXX, then again in XXX at the…”

“The vehicle experienced complete and sudden engine failure while actively driving on a roadway. The engine began making loud, violent knocking noises, the check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle completely stopped and lost all motive power mid-drive. I believe this is directly caused by the defective piston oil rings covered under NHTSA Safety Recall Campaign 21V-259 (Kia Campaign SC209). The vehicle had only just begun exhibiting these severe symptoms on the exact day it stopped working. The loud engine knocking, immediate check engine light, and rapid internal oil loss all occurred rapidly within hours of each other on the same day, leading directly to the total mechanical failure and seizure. The engine component is currently intact and remains completely available for physical inspection upon request. The engine in my Kia Soul is the 2.0L Nu MPI. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Kia dealership service center. The dealership confirmed that the engine has completely failed and had loud knocking sounds, but they are attributing the issue to an external leak in an attempt to deny coverage under Safety Recall SC209. The manufacturer (via the…”

“The vehicle has experienced intermittent stalling and near-stalling while driving. The problem began after a prior Kia engine replacement related to DTC P1327/P132700. After the engine replacement, the vehicle developed additional drivability and warning-light concerns, including P0420 and communication/CAN faults. An authorized Kia dealer later documented that the vehicle had stalled a few times, identified P0420, reported a clogged catalytic converter, and found 11 additional lost-communication/CAN-related codes. The dealer stated that approximately eight additional diagnostic labor hours would be required to investigate the remaining faults. The vehicle was returned with the intermittent stalling condition unresolved. The stalling presents a safety risk because the vehicle can lose motive power unexpectedly while being driven. The vehicle remains available for inspection. The dealer confirmed the stalling complaint and performed diagnostic testing, but the complete cause has not been determined. Kia previously performed an engine replacement related to the earlier P1327 condition, and the current stalling occurred afterward.”

“The contact’s wife owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel failed to return to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the steering rack, and pinion plugs were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 232,000.”

“There was a recall-SC209A for a faulty piston ring. This vehicle “passed” prior to my purchase. I was unaware that my vehicle was part of the recall- when the VIN is entered in the NTSB website, no active recalls show. Starting in 10/24, the vehicle began having problems accelerating, and when I brought to my local mechanic it was found to be nearly empty on oil despite a recent oil change. I have since experienced continuing issues with low oil and oil consumption. The latest incident was in XXX on a trip to [XXX] . The car seized in the highway, and was brought to a local Kia dealer. They diagnosed a bad transmission, and it was replaced. Despite this, the car has continued to burn oil. I have brought the car to my local Kia in Schaumburg where it was purchased. It was today that I found out it was part of the recall. I asked for an oil consumption test, and I was told this would be at a $200 cost to me. I am worried for my families safety taking this car on the road- the oil light doesn’t come on when it is low. Kia hasn’t offered to retest the car, and I feel at significant risk continuing to drive it.”

“This car was purchased in December of 2025 with 26K miles on it. There are stall issues when using the auto start stop feature. I had to power down the car and restart it up to get the car to move. It also will throw the check engine light code and then after you drive it, it goes away which makes it difficult to take to a service shop for diagnosis. Recently the car is now at 28K (9 mo later) and it has an intermittent stutter when driving; I can only describe it as a push/pull motion and its random, during this time the check engine light came on again. On my way to take it to a service station for diagnosis, it went away. Not sure if this has been reported by other 2020 Kia Soul owners.”