2012 KIA SOUL Engine Problems

On Oct. 14, 2025, this vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure while driving approx. 70 mph on a highway. While in the passing lane, the vehicle began to lose power, shake, and wouldn’t accelerate. The check engine light came on just moments before a loud explosive noise came from the engine, and a burning smell came through the vents - the engine completely shut down. This failure occurred with other vehicles on the roadway, creating a serious safety risk. I was forced to quickly maneuver the disabled vehicle across multiple lanes of traffic to reach the right shoulder, where I called for roadside assistance. The vehicle was inoperable from that point forward, it would not turn on, and was towed from the scene. There were no warning signs prior to this event. The vehicle had been operating normally before the incident - I had recently checked the oil levels,...

On 12/ 22/ 2025 I went to start the 2012 KIA Soul and it would act like it would start but, it would not turn over. Battery was fine checked it. Let it set a moment and tried it again would not start. Called a wrecker and towed it in. The service guy tried and couldn't get it to start either. He ran a diagnostic on it, there were not type of codes, no check engine light nothing. He had it for until 1/5/2026 and when they went to check it it started right up. They drove it for 20 miles to check to see if it would cut off while driving, it didn't. It starts now but for how long. Here's the strange thing, I drove it 20 minutes away and I noticed that the counter for when You fill up with gas states how many miles you have...

I bought the car 2 yrs ago come April and it's had nothing but issues. I've had one recall did which was the knock sensor however now the check engine is on and it's smelling like rubber my brakes are wearing like an eraser and my engine just feels sluggish. The code is p0420 which from what I understand is a catlic converter and I read online there is a recall for that with kia . I've spent a lot more than what I paid for the car not even 2 yrs ago and every place i take it has a new opinion and none of those have any connections with the code so I need help

P1326 code followed by loss of power (limp mode) followed by multiple misfires and loss of compression in cylinder 2. Loss of power going up a hill on interstate with a full car one under age 10. Dealer and firestone states no compression in cylinder 2 and says needs engine.

While driving KIA 2012: It will suddenly quit running while driving. Loss of control of steering. Loss of electrical controls, ie: brake lights, head lights & all electrical devices. Dangerous to drive.

The engine has gunk in the motor. Can not clean it. Uses oil. Noise from the engine.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under the Extended Warranty. The manufacturer sent the contact the information for a Class Action Lawsuit. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to empty and refilled with premium gasoline. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact was informed that the engine had thrown a rod. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed of the recall. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact the vehicle was no...

Was stalling, would loose power, now will not start. Found a recall ( engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic converter # 19v120000.) same problems. Towed to local kia, they say not under recall list. This recall is only for engine size 1.6. My engine is a 2.0. But they said catalytic converter needs replaced. Although car is aged only has about 55,000 miles. Catalytic converter should not be an issue. I believe the 2.0 engine needs to be added to the recall list.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally, with the oil and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact drove back to the residence and inspected the vehicle and became aware that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact raised the hood and noticed that there was oil all over the engine compartment and the dipstick had blown off. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #2 and the engine and battery needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,449.

Took car in for recall SC176 and was told by Taylor Kia in Lima, Oh that what was happ wasn't throwing a code. Said they fixed the knock sensor and that if it is that problem it would go off and they could check it again. My car ran worse than before getting it back. What is happening to my engine is exactly what is detailed in the recall. I drove home 35 minutes shacking and knocking the whole time and no engine light? You can hear the rod knocking in my engine. Exactly how it is explained in the recall. So, now I'm stuck with an engine that going to be ruined when the rod does flys out. Hopefully not harming me or anyone else. This is ludicrous and poor work done.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal chain rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the unrepaired recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the recall notification was never received. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

To Whom It May Concern, I need a Recall Letter send to me to get my 2012 Kia Soul repaired. My Catalytic Converter needs to be replace, and my engine is leaking oil and that will need to be replace, and the Pillars on the front of my car, on the right & left side, needs to be replace, they flew off my car while I was driving on [XXX]. I looked up the information on the computer, that the vehicle emission warranty extends beyond the manufacturer's. along with others emission control devices, Federal Law requires to replace a defective Catalytic Converter & Engine for up to 15 years or 150,000 miles, the miles on my car is 128, 684. I took my vehicle to get check by Brake World , on [XXX] they said I needed a CRankshaft Position Sensor & a new Catalytic Converter. I have the printed...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that her daughter was able to pull over, restart the vehicle, and drove back to her residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was no longer able to be started. The contact called a dealer who requested that the vehicle be towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

I got the recall SC284AM - HECU FUSE REPLACEMENT Done. As soon as I started the engine at the Kia dealer thick smoke started coming out of the exhaust pipe. When I showed it to the dealer they said it has nothing to do with the fuse replacement. The car was perfectly fine before the fuse was replaced. To check out the reason for this the dealer is asking $300. It’s definitely the result of the fuse replacement. Need help.

Vehicle first started to have issue with the blower motor relay, unknowingly at the time, that was the issue I had brought it to numerous mechanics, told it’s my blower motor itself, then took it to Kia and was told it’s not and they put my old one back in and didn’t solve any issue, on my way home my check engine light came on, driving on the HWY at 70mph. I get off on my exit slow down to the speed of 40Mph stop at the red light and then my vehicle starts to stall, refused to go faster then 40mph and was fighting it, at 7rpms. Local shop said it was some sort of sensor, had another mechanic look at it and found that KIA hadn’t put my Cars Computer back on my vehicle, so it was just flapping around, once he reconnected it the issue disappeared. Following...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while at a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while slowing down with the brake pedal depressed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing unintended downshifts. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated to respond and was sluggish while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact a diagnostic test needed to be performed and the repairs would be out-of-pocket. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The check engine, the electronic parking brake warning light, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not...

I was driving and my check engine code went on , I got it checked by autozone and it was for the catalytic converter. My car has since ran horribly, there feels like a lag in acceleration and it makes a hissing/air noise that comes from the catalytic converter it gets overheated and causes my car to go in limp mode and when I asked a mechanic friend they said it’s very clogged which has caused me to park my car and not drive it because I was recommended to not drive it being in this condition then I was send a recall in email. It has one owner and we have kept up with maintenance very well.

So I purchased a 2012 Kia Soul A few months ago and since I got it the car has been having issues with accelerating the car delays to respond and I have had many closed calls specifically when entering a freeway the car losses power and I have to really press on the pedal for the vehicle to respond then the check engine light started to come on showing Code P0420 Catalyst operating below minimum threshold. I looked up online and all Kia souls starting from 2012 have a recall regarding the Catalyst converter and because of the issue my vehicle is having a weird rattling or knocking sound on the engine I looked up online and this is what I found Kia Motors America (Kia) is voluntarily recalling 2012–2016 Kia Soul vehicles with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines due to high exhaust gas temperatures that may damage the...

Despite being assured for years by KIA that my vehicle was not affected by this recall, I received a recall notice in DECEMBER 2023 for the HECU. Now it is April, and my vehicle still is not repaired because KIA STILL has not supplied the part required to fix this safety issue. Because of the high theft issue of my vehicle, I cannot park it outside and KIA is now telling me I cannot park the vehicle inside because of fire hazard. I have had to pay a higher insurance premium just to keep my car insured and have even been denied insurance by Farmers and Progressive. I am afraid to drive my car and how am I supposed to afford another car? Some dealers will not even consider the car as a trade in.

Unknown

I took my car to a local place to get the oil changed. The person would not touch anything with my car until I had it looked at by someone at the local Kia location. There was a knocking sound, which seems to get worse when accelerating, or going up hill. I get it to the local Kia location, and they take a look at it, said it was out of warranty, the engine was about to go out, and there was nothing they could do. They also stated, they were surprised that the engine hadn't already gone yet.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment and heard an abnormal grinding sound, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the VIN was included, but the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 68,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to a local dealer to have the vehicle checked due to recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact was contacted by the dealer and was advised that the check engine warning light was illuminated and that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed and that the vehicle needed a BGC Fuel Induction service. The contact picked up the vehicle and was advised by the dealer to drive the vehicle for 100 miles and then return the vehicle to the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that after picking up the vehicle, she was driving at approximately 30 MPH, when the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was...

Transmission is going out. Valve and piston issues.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and then lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I saw a puff of smoke then the engine started knocking while I was driving, I had the car brought home and I called Joey Griffen dealership and they told me it will be a four month wait that I would have to come out of pocket $7000 to have it fixed, that's when I found out about the recall I should not be coming out of pocket for something totally out of my control I saw metal parts on the ground, the car started knocking a few seconds after seeing smoke under my hood, it literally came out of no where

My car died while driving it down the highway. And I couldn't get it drive. I had to have it towed.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated and jerked. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a burning odor was detected. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I have contacted KIA Corp. and advised them that my 2012 KIA Soul ! with 146,500 miles was consuming so much oil that the KIA dealership had to replace my engine for $5000 and that I had to pay it. Why won't KIA Corp reimburse me? It is under 150,000 miles. They advise me that they would pay a Good Will fee to me and never did !!! The KIA dealership always did my oil changes on time and have records of them. KIA Corp should reimburse me for a GOOD WILL FEE.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly shuddered before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic, but the dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 115,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was driving at night down a major highway when the car stopped dead. I towed it to a repair shop and they told me that the engine was completely gone. They informed me that there was a class actions case on Kias due to engine failure. I need my Kia to have the engine replaced and covered under this situation as it totally does not work anymore and from what I am told it is a catastrophic occurrence happening to many, many Kias. Who can I contact about getting this fixed?

The engines makes a weird chatter noise all the time

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 65MPH AND MY CAR JUST BEGAN TO IDLE AND SLOWED DOWN TO REDUCING SPEED QUICKLY. I COULD NOT GIVE IT ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO PICK UP SPEED. I PULLED OVER TO SHUT MY ENGINE CAR OFF. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND MY RPMS TO SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR WERE LOW. I HAD TO SHIFT MY GEARS QUICKLY TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE. SINCE THEN, MY ENGINE LIGHT IS BLINKING AND I CANNOT GO FASTER THAN 50MPH

My 2012 Kia soul base, had this SC176 recall which I took it into the dealer, at that time I really didn't know exactly what the recall consisted of, until months later after researching the performance of my car, my engine lights comes on and stays on for two weeks ,then go off a day and it's back on, my car drives sluggish and it's acceleration power is bad , where it won't get up to necessary speed, and it making a loud noises when I accelerate ,which the mechanic said it's my Cadillac converter which was under recall and most likely damaged , from high exhaust gas temperatures,I do believe it's all under the last recall, my engine was damaged and should of been replaced along with the catalytic converter, I believe the KIA dealership knew of the damages but didn't replace my catalytic converter or my engine, my...

The car experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure. We had just pulled out of the driveway and were on our residential street, so there was no accident, we were able to pull over and stop the vehicle without incident. It was towed to the Kia dealer (Premier Kia of Carlsbad 5331 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92008). After detailed inspection by one of their service technicians they determined that the cause of the engine failure was the same connecting rod bearing failure that other years/classes of Kia Soul have experienced. The dealer initiated a claim with Kia to try to get the extended warranty and engine replacement covered for my vehicle since it was exactly the same issue they have seen with the vehicles covered in the legal settlement (Techline case #15756680). However, Kia has denied responsibility for what is clearly a defect in the engine affecting other Kia owners...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road for 20 minutes. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred a week later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

Engine seizure, stalling, engine turns off without any warning. When taken to dealership or mechanic there is no error code for the issue.

My car stalls and the engine light frequently stays on, my car is driving sluggish every since I got the recall adjustment my car has declined in performance and the engine light started coming on more frequently up until now, it's loud at and experiencing a great lost of power ,the computer is giving the code PO420 reading as bank 1 oxygen sensor , I had intended changing out both sensors, but wasn't sure if it's a damaged engine effecting the Cadillac converter from the 2019 recall, # 19V120000 giving a false reading.

The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started making abnormal sounds before stalling. The vehicle was not drivable. The owner and a friend pushed the vehicle a short distance to the friend's residence. The contact stated an independent mechanic arrived at the location of the vehicle but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact spoke to the manufacturer and made them aware of the failure and was informed that the VIN was included in the recall. The contact towed the vehicle first to the residence and then to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced....

While driving down the freeway, the engine began to smoke and caught fire. My husband and kids were in the car but were fortunately able to pull over without physical injuries. Our insurance company held the car and a third party company (hired by Kia) concluded “ the origin of the fire is in the engine compartment at the exhaust manifold. The cause of the fire is internal engine failure resulting in a hole in the block allowing oil to escape and ignite on contact with heated exhaust components”. There were no warnings, check engine light, etc. Kia pointed us towards a class action lawsuit but when you search our VIN # on Kia’s website, there’s are no recalls or issues reported, which is clearly false. Our family escaped serious injury/death but it could have easily been a different story. I will not stay silent and let this happen to...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle continued losing motive power. The contact stated that the engine did not rev while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled off the highway and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle however, while attempting to shift into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the mechanic acknowledged the open recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the dealer did not perform the recall repair....

i was driving, all of a sudden my car started losing speed so i got onto the shoulder. then i saw smoke and a fire from under the hood. the door stuck and i hit it with my shoulder to get out. 30 seconds after i got out the engine bay exploded.

My car got hot and just stopped on me crazy and I just had work done on my rotates and brakes.

2012 Kia Soul 4dr wagon engine fail no warning lights sudden strange noise driving on highway with grandbabies. Heard a strange noise under hood then the vehicle lost acceleration and right before shutting down and dying the oil light came on and car went dead. No warning to any problem. Had the oil changed and double checked new oil was replaced. When I opened the hood and checked the oil their was no oil in vehicle it was as if it was drained out yet have no oil leaks to show it leaked out. If the oil disappears and no warning lights show no oil and car just dies on highway that is engine failure and burning up engine leading to fires and danger to drivers and passengers. 2012 Kia Soul 75,262 miles well maintained should not just be driving along engine malfunction and die and oil has disappeared. Let...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact retrieved DTC code: P0420 (Low catalyst system efficiency) using a handheld diagnostic tool and drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact reported that he informed the dealer that DTC code: P0420 (Low catalyst system efficiency) was related to the catalytic convertor. The dealer advised that they would replace the catalytic convertor if he paid for the spark plug replacement. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,951. The contact changed out the spark plugs but was still getting check engine lights for the...

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph a loud popping sound originated from the undercarriage on the driver's side. The contact witnessed smoke coming from the engine compartment and veered to the vehicle side of the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact was then notified by pedestrians, that a fire was originating from the engine compartment, and the contact exited the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department and a report was available. Additionally, the contact stated that the Engine Oil Level and the check engine safety light had been illuminated for three days prior to the failure, and approximately three quarts of oil were added four to five days before the fire. The contact believed that the failure was associated with an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to his place of employment. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 99,760.

We were driving and the car just shutdown, luckily at a stop sign. Wouldn't turn back on, and nothing when we tried to jump it. Had it towed to the nearest service center in town and were told a rod punctured the block and the engine is blown. The service center said they had seen this happen before and to contact a Kia dealership to check on a recall. I talked to the Kia dealership in Topeka, KS and they said Kia had been denying requests to replace the engine, if the recall update had not been done. We never received any information about the car having a recall or needing an update, so therefore it was never performed.

Unknown. Piston rings have blown, oil leaking into muffler.

When the car gets to 60mph it loses power and slows down. No matter how much you press the gas it will not get above 60 and seems to struggle there.