Kia 2016 Soul Steering Recall: Pinion Gear Separation Risk
Kia recalls 2014-2016 Soul vehicles with potential pinion gear separation causing loss of steering. Owners must have steering gear inspected or replaced free by dealers.
Use caution until it’s fixed
If the pinion gear separates, steering will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
What happened, in plain English
Kia is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul vehicles because the pinion plug could allow the steering gear to separate, risking loss of steering control. This could lead to a crash if the vehicle is driven. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1227196-kia-2016-soul-steering-recall-pinion-gear-separation-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1227196-kia-2016-soul-steering-recall-pinion-gear-separation-risk · Updated October 7, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #17V608000
Cite this page
“Kia 2016 Soul Steering Recall: Pinion Gear Separation Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 7, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1227196-kia-2016-soul-steering-recall-pinion-gear-separation-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #17V608000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=17V608000).
Why it’s dangerous
If the pinion gear separates from the steering assembly, the vehicle loses steering control. This could cause a crash, especially during normal driving conditions.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2014-2016 Kia Soul vehicles are affected. Drivers of these vehicles are most at risk if the pinion gear separates.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2014-2016 Kia Soul has the pinion plug that may allow the pinion gear to separate. This recall covers all Soul models from 2014 through 2016.
- Brand
Kia- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Kia Customer Service
Call 1-800-333-4542 to confirm your vehicle is affected and schedule a dealer inspection.
Have Steering Inspected
Dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly if needed.
What NHTSA says to do
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the pinion plug or replace the steering gear assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC155. Note: This recall supersedes campaigns 14V-332 and 15V-736. Vehicles previously remedied under those numbers are being recalled again under this campaign.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 48 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 #17V608000 (September 29, 2017)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 7, 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.