2021 Kia Soul: What to check before buying

Heavy oil burning is the dominant complaint, often a quart or more every 1,000 miles with no visible leaks and no warning light. Many reports describe knocking, power loss, and stalling on highways, sometimes ending in seizure and a dealer verdict that the engine must be replaced. Several owners say a recall visit installed software and cleared codes, yet the oil loss and stalling returned. One filing describes a loud bang, a stall, and a fire that destroyed the car. Stalls cluster around 57,000 to 72,000 miles, though some oil burning starts much earlier.

Excessive oil consumption, rough running, and stalling without warning lights fill these reports. Owners describe rumbling, grinding, or clunking from the engine, shuddering from a stop, and power loss at 35 to 40 mph. Most filings center on a dealer recall visit where owners say piston ring noise-sensing software was installed, after which the stalling or oil loss came back and some engines failed outright. Others say dealers declined recall work once the engine had already died. One report pairs low coolant with low oil, and another cites an overheating warning before failure.

Sudden loss of drive at highway speed is the core pattern. The engine revs, the tachometer swings wildly, and the car slows sharply or will not move in drive or reverse. Several owners report transmission replacements, some on the same car twice, with failures clustering between 34,130 and 37,500 miles. One names the IVT. Some cases begin within the first few thousand miles. Other filings tie the power loss to oil burning and engine knocking. One crash-related report and another describe losing power at 70 mph in traffic, with drivers fearing a rear-end collision.

Sudden loss of power while driving is the most serious pattern. Headlights, wipers, and the dash go dark, in one case at 65 mph in the rain with a key-not-detected message. Other reports describe stalls at red lights linked to auto stop-start, an engine that cranks but will not run, and a horn that fails repeatedly. Two drivers say the car sped up when they pressed the brake, one ending in a crash with 2 injuries. A theft attempt through the steering column also appears.

Faults range from a steering wheel that seizes with a red warning light to clunking or popping from the column and a car that pulls right, then left after alignment. Lane-keeping assist reportedly goes inactive on long curves and fails to recenter. One new car lost power steering along with every electrical system at 55 mph. Several filings in this category actually describe oil consumption, stalling, or transmission replacement rather than steering trouble. Dealers often could not find a cause.

Most of these reports are crashes. Drivers describe a pedal that sinks to the floor or will not engage, and in some cases the car speeding up when the brake is pressed. Three filings say forward collision-avoidance assist and automatic emergency braking gave no alert and did not activate before an imminent collision. Five of the 6 complaints involve a crash. A separate report cites brake pads judged worn on a car with under 10,000 miles.

Airbags failing to deploy in hard frontal and side impacts is the main complaint, with front ends destroyed and frames bent. All 4 reports involve crashes, and 3 include injuries. One describes a seatbelt that did not keep a passenger off the steering wheel. Another describes a 50 mph crash followed by fire, an airbag that stayed inflated, and a driver door that would not open from the handle.

Neither report involves the wipers. One describes roof paint peeling away in large sheets while driving, exposing bare metal and shedding debris onto traffic behind. The other describes a sunroof that shattered while the car sat parked with no sign of impact, plus a driver door window that broke the same way. With only 2 complaints, no wider pattern is clear.

Water leaks into the passenger side, pooling on the floor and spreading mold into the back seat. Heavy condensation builds up inside the cabin along with it. The other complaint describes paint chipping and peeling in several places, matching roof paint reports filed under other categories for this car. Volume is low, with 2 complaints total.