2016 Kia Soul Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2015-2019 Kia Soul Soul EV on-board charger (OBC) / high-voltage junction box, the Soul EV's on-board charger converts AC from a wall outlet or Level 2 EVSE into DC for the pack; DC fast charging over CHAdeMO bypasses it entirely. That produces the diagnostic signature owners keep reporting across a decade of the model's life: the car refuses to charge on both the Level 1 cord and the Level 2 station, throws a charging fault, and yet fast-charges normally. Some cars announce it first with repeated clicking from under the hood and blinking charge-port lamps for weeks or months before the unit dies outright. Failures cluster in cold climates and were still occurring on 2018 builds, four years after launch, so this is a design-life problem rather than an early-production defect. One frequent false alarm is worth knowing: a blown 40A fuse in the high-voltage junction box mimics OBC failure exactly and costs almost nothing to fix.

On the 2015-2017 Kia Soul 27 kWh SK Innovation lithium-ion pack, the 27 kWh SK Innovation pouch cells used in the first-generation Soul EV degrade far faster than the industry norm, and — critically — the loss is not linear. Owners tracking state of health with OBD tools report long plateaus followed by cliff-like drops; one documented case lost 15 percentage points of SOH in three months over roughly 4,000 miles. The practical result is a car that quietly stops being usable for its original commute: indicated range falls well below the 93-mile EPA figure, the guess-o-meter becomes erratic, and DC fast-charge sessions taper early. Because Kia's capacity warranty triggers at below 70% SOH, the shape of this degradation curve matters — cars sitting at 72-75% can drop under the threshold quickly, and owners near the end of the warranty term should be measuring, not guessing.

On the 2015-2019 Kia Soul 81.4 kW electric motor, E400 high-voltage battery pack, kia recalled approximately 2,689 Soul EVs because an internal short circuit can develop between the anode and cathode inside cells of the E400 high-voltage battery pack, and that short can start a fire while the vehicle is being driven. Kia attributes it to abnormally excessive precipitate forming inside the cells; three thermal incidents were reported. The population is unusual and easy to miss: it covers 2018-2019 Soul EVs built 7/3/2017 through 9/28/2018 with the factory E400 pack, AND 2015-2017 Soul EVs that had their original pack replaced under warranty with an E400 unit — so a first-generation car that already got a 'good' battery can be the affected one. Warning signs owners see before anything dramatic are charging that never completes, range that fluctuates or drops, and the EV warning lamp.

On the 2014-2020 Kia Soul, the optional panoramic glass sunroof can spontaneously shatter without impact, often at speed, showering occupants with glass and accompanied by a loud bang. NHTSA opened an investigation into Hyundai/Kia panoramic sunroof shattering in 2013 (expanded 2014) but closed it without finding a safety-related defect, citing possible road-debris contribution. A long-running class action alleged a manufacturing/tempering defect; after roughly a decade it was ultimately dismissed in Kia's favor.

On the 2012-2016 Kia Soul 1.6L GDI, nHTSA recall 19V120000 (Kia SC176) covers 2012-2016 Soul vehicles with the 1.6L GDI engine. Excessive exhaust-gas temperature can damage the catalytic converter, leading to abnormal combustion, piston damage, connecting-rod failure, stall or fire. Kia’s later SC176Y bulletin addresses certain previously repaired vehicles with P0420, with or without a P030X misfire code.

On the 2014-2016 Kia Soul, nHTSA recall 17V608000 (Kia SC155) covers 2014-2016 Soul vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering-gear assembly, causing loss of steering and increasing crash risk. The campaign supersedes 14V332 and 15V736, including vehicles previously repaired under those campaigns.

On the 2015-2020 Kia Soul Electric, the Soul EV (2015-2020) can develop a whining or grinding noise from the electric drive motor due to bearing wear. The front motor bearing deteriorates prematurely, particularly in cold climates. The noise is most noticeable at low speeds when other road noise is minimal. Kia has replaced drive motors under warranty for some owners.