Model year 2021 · Small Station Wagons

2021 Kia Soul: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2021 Kia Soul at 27–31 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 239 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

27–31

NHTSA overall rating

4/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Kia dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2021 Kia Soul recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia Soul, newest first.

Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Hard parts internal/mechanical

NHTSA 25V099000 Reported Feb 17, 2025

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC336)
Units affected: 137,256 (estimate)
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Engine

NHTSA 21V259000 Reported Apr 13, 2021

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC209)
Units affected: 147,249 (estimate)
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2021 Kia Soul fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2021 Kia Soul EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Soul	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 7-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	27/32/29 mpg	$2,300	309
Soul	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	28/33/30 mpg	$2,250	302
Soul	2.0L 4-cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/31/27 mpg	$2,500	332
Soul Eco dynamics	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	29/35/31 mpg	$2,150	287

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2021 Kia Soul crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2021 Kia Soul NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2021 Kia Soul SUV FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	14.7%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2021 Kia Soul owner complaints

Owners have filed 239 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Soul, most recently on Oct 25, 2026. 12 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 5 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2021 Kia Soul complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	139
Engine and engine cooling	46
Unknown or other	27
Power train	26
Electrical system	15
Fuel/propulsion system	10
Service brakes	10
Steering	9
Exterior lighting	6
Visibility/wiper	6

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Kia Soul model years

Kia Soul by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2025 Soul	30–31 mpg	0	12	4/5
2024 Soul	30–31 mpg	0	30	4/5
2023 Soul	30–31 mpg	4	54	4/5
2022 Soul	29–31 mpg	1	95	4/5
2020 Soul	27–31 mpg · 114 MPGe	1	388	4/5
2019 Soul	27–28 mpg · 108 MPGe	3	140	5/5
2018 Soul	27–28 mpg · 108 MPGe	3	223	5/5
2017 Soul	27–28 mpg · 105 MPGe	3	290	5/5
2016 Soul	26–27 mpg · 105 MPGe	5	823	5/5
2015 Soul	26 mpg · 105 MPGe	7	907	5/5

All Kia Soul years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2021 Kia models

2021 Kia Forte 2021 Kia K5 2021 Kia Niro 2021 Kia Rio 2021 Kia Sedona 2021 Kia Seltos 2021 Kia Sorento 2021 Kia Sportage 2021 Kia Stinger 2021 Kia Telluride

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Kia.