Kia Soul (2016) Engine Recall: Risk of Engine Stall and Fire
Kia is recalling 2012-2016 Soul vehicles with 1.6L GDI engines due to potential engine stall, piston damage, and fire risks from leaking oil. Owners must contact Kia for free repairs.
Use caution until it’s fixed
Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
What happened, in plain English
Kia is recalling certain 2012-2016 Soul vehicles with 1.6L gasoline engines because high exhaust temperatures can damage the catalytic converter, leading to engine stalls, piston damage, and fire risks from leaking oil. This recall requires free repairs to prevent serious injury. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1227195-kia-soul-2016-engine-recall-risk-of-engine-stall-and.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1227195-kia-soul-2016-engine-recall-risk-of-engine-stall-and · Updated October 5, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #19V120000
Cite this page
“Kia Soul (2016) Engine Recall: Risk of Engine Stall and Fire.” GovInfoNow, updated October 5, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1227195-kia-soul-2016-engine-recall-risk-of-engine-stall-and. Based on NHTSA recall #19V120000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=19V120000).
Why it’s dangerous
High exhaust gas temperatures can damage the catalytic converter, causing abnormal engine combustion. This may lead to piston damage, connecting rod failure, and oil leaks that contact the exhaust, increasing fire risk.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles with 1.6L gasoline direct injection engines are affected. Drivers using these vehicles without the fix are at risk of engine stalls, piston damage, or fire.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2012-2016 Kia Soul has a 1.6L gasoline direct injection engine. The recall started April 17, 2019, and affects vehicles with specific engine models.
- Brand
Kia- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Kia Customer Service
Call 1-800-333-4542 to schedule a repair or check if your vehicle is affected.
Get Free Engine Repair
Kia will replace the catalytic converter and/or engine at no cost if damage is found.
What NHTSA says to do
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 54 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #19V120000 (February 22, 2019)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 5, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.